Evolutionary Explanations of Food Preference

Main assumption- food preferences advantages to hunter/gatherer
Eating beh/ adaptive - inc/ survival
Evolutionary past still inf/s food preferences today
Taste Receptors
1. 5 - sensitive to range of food qualities (ancestors - dangerous) 1) Sweet - Sugar (energy), 2) Sour - gone off (bacteria), 3) Salt - all cells need to function, 4) Bitter - poisonous plant chemicals, 5) Umami - meaty/savoury (protein)
2. Benton (2002) - Sweet food reduce distress in babies.
Neophobia
1. Fear and avoid new foods - evolved when new food stuffs could be poisonous. Sticking to familiar foods inc/ survival (safe)
2. Frost (2006) - Inc/ liking for to food as more familiar.
Taste Aversion
1. Avoid foods that make them sick. Powerful mechanisms to keep alive
2. Garcia et al. (1977) - Wolves - lamb laced w/ poison - sick. Sniff live sheep - leave alone. Learnt instant aversion.
3. Rats - poisoned + fed unfamiliar food = avoid
4. Morning sickness - "Embryo Protection Hypothesis". Nausea - early months (coffee, alcohol, eggs). Evolutionary - damage developing baby
  1. Buss (2008) - Foods consistently avoided - 75% morning sickness to meat +eggs (toxins, bacteria)
Speculative - Impossible to test - explanations rely on obs/ modern beh/ - lacks direct support
IDA - Limited - ignore psychological, social, cultural factors. (Parents/ peers inf/ - obs/ learning + modelling). Religious beliefs (Kosher)

Resource summary

	Created by Stephanie Bates about 10 years ago