Identifying eating behavior phenotypes and their correlates: A novel direction toward improving weight management interventions

Abstract

Common reports of over-response to food cues, difficulties with calorie restriction, and difficulty adhering to dietary guidelines suggest that eating behaviors could be interrelated in ways that influence weight management efforts. The feasibility of identifying robust eating phenotypes (showing face, content, and criterion validity) was explored based on well-validated individual eating behavior assessments. Adults (n=260; mean age 34 years) completed online questionnaires with measurements of nine eating behaviors including: appetite for palatable foods, binge eating, bitter taste sensitivity, disinhibition, food neophobia, pickiness and satiety responsiveness. Discovery-based visualization procedures that have the combined strengths of heatmaps and hierarchical clustering were used to investigate: 1) how eating behaviors cluster, 2) how participants can be grouped within eating behavior clusters, and 3) whether group clustering is associated with body mass index (BMI) and dietary self-efficacy levels. Two distinct eating behavior clusters and participant groups that aligned within these clusters were identified: one with higher drive to eat and another with food avoidance behaviors. Participants’ BMI (p=.0002) and dietary self-efficacy (p<.0001) were associated with cluster membership. Eating behavior clusters showed content and criterion validity based on their association with BMI (associated, but not entirely overlapping) and dietary self-efficacy. Identifying eating behavior phenotypes appears viable. These efforts could be expanded and ultimately inform tailored weight management interventions.

Beliefs about genetic influences on eating behaviors: Characteristics and associations with weight management confidence

“…30 Participants represented all weight categories and were not selected on the basis of participation in a weight management program. The study was introduced to participants as an effort to better understand individuals’ eating behaviors and habits.…”

“…We gathered data on eating behavior causal attributions and their correlates as part of a larger survey assessing individuals’ eating behavior traits. 30 Given the exploratory nature of this project, we developed several research questions:…”

Mass customization in food production: a perception about the theme and future directions

“…Analyzes performed by Stewart-Knox et al (2013), suggest that personalized nutrition is perceived as beneficial to human health. Researchers mention the possibility of applying a set of nutrigenomic techniques to study the relationship between the gene of each individual and the type of food recommended (GERMAN et al, 2004;BOLAND, 2008), which would become important for the Characterization of a personalized diet (BOUHLAL et al, 2017). When genetic characteristics of a consumer are used as influencers of their nutritional medium, the need for customization increase, since the diets tend to meet increasingly specific requests due to the infinite amount of genomes.…”

Uma revisão sistemática para identificação das possibilidades de aplicações e das barreiras de adoção da customização em massa na produção de alimentos

“…Há estudos que mencionam a possibilidade de aplicação de um conjunto de técnicas nutrigenômicas para estudar a relação entre o gene de cada indivíduo e o tipo de alimento recomendado (GERMAN et al, 2004;BOLAND, 2008), o que se tornaria importante para a caracterização de uma dieta personalizada (BOUHLAL et al, 2017). Quando as características genéticas de um consumidor são utilizadas como influenciadores do seu meio de nutrição, verifica-se um aumento da necessidade de customização, já que as dietas tendem a atender pedidos cada vez mais específicos devido à quantidade infinita de genomas.…”