Effects of food attributes and feeding environment on acceptance, consumption and body weight: lessons learned in a twenty-year program of military ration research

Abstract

Twenty years of testing in the field has consistently revealed that food intake is inadequate when packaged military rations are fed as the sole source of food. Food intake is much lower and there is a loss of body weight. Conversely when these rations are fed to students or military personnel for periods ranging from 3 to 42 days in a cafeteria-like setting, food intake is comparable to levels of a control group provided with freshly prepared food. Under these conditions, body weight is maintained. In this review, the consumption pattern is considered in terms of characteristics of the food (acceptability, variety, portion size, beverages, serving temperature, appropriateness for time of day, monotony, and novelty) and the eating milieu (social interactions, time, ease of preparing and consuming a meal). The twentyyear program of military ration research has led us to conclude that both the food and the context must be considered in understanding and controlling food intake. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Food acceptability in field studies with US army men and women: relationship with food intake and food choice after repeated exposures

“…A study from Drewnowksi et al (1997) showed that under normal living conditions the total number of different food items eaten across a week was on average about 25-60. In a recent study of Hirsch, Kramer, and Meiselman (2004), it was found that soldiers in two field studies consumed on average 25 (one study) or 48 (other study) different foods during approximately one week. These numbers are not much lower than the numbers from the study of Drewnowski et al (1997).…”

Cues to overeat: psychological factors influencing overconsumption

“…The implication is that less-liked foods offered over many days or months may not maximize pleasure and therefore intake. In a series of studies conducted over many years by researchers at Natick, MA, USA on US army rations (Hirsch et al 2005) reduced energy intake has been found repeatedly when soldiers receive a variety of ready-to-eat meals in the field compared with the same foods offered in cafeteria settings. A comparison of acceptance ratings between field and control conditions shows higher ratings in the field group but a consistently lower energy intake.…”

Expectations and experiences of institutional foods among Finnish male conscripts

“…Practically all published results from military environments come from the US Army laboratories where the facilities, personnel, and long tradition support such research (Meiselman & Schutz, 2003;Hirsch, Kramer, & Meiselman, 2005). However, the results may not generalize globally, as servicemen, the length of service, feeding systems and foods and the surrounding societies vary.…”

“…In this context, we repeated the design of the study 4 by Cardello et al (1996) survey compared hedonic ratings of a range of foods, hedonic expectations of these foods when served in the army, and the rated hedonic experience of the same foods after exposures to them in the army. As the context of eating has been identified as a significant factor in food acceptance (Hirsch et al, 2005), the perceived comfort of the dining hall was considered as a possible predictor of pleasantness after exposure and was therefore included in the study design. A few psychosocial instruments were used to further explore the possible origin of hedonic ratings.…”