Do we love food equally? The relationship between identification with an eating culture and hedonic activation in response to palatable food

Abstract

Exposure to palatable food leads to hedonic activation (HA). HA creates an impulse to immediate gratification which causes a response conflict that can result in overeating and ultimately in obesity. According to statistics, in The Netherlands ethnic minorities suffer more from being overweight and obese compared to the Dutch population. In these ethnic minorities food has a significant role according to literature. For this reason, in this study they are described as eating cultures. With this role of food in mind, the following hypothesis was formulated: the higher the level of identification with an eating culture, the higher the level of HA in response to palatable food exposure. In order to challenge this hypothesis, the Affect Misattribute Procedure (AMP) was used. The Inclusion of Other in the Self-scale (IOS) was used to measure the level of identification with an eating culture. It was found that there was no relationship between the level of identification with eating cultures and HA in response to exposure to palatable food. Potential limitations and methodological issues are discussed that may explain the lack of significant results. Based on these results, it can be concluded that more research is needed on the effect of (eating) cultures on HA. It is recommended that future studies include assessment in SES and cultural inclusivity concerning eating cultures and palatable food.