Food quality is a vital factor for the success of many food facilities, Fast food facilities may, however, depend on factors along with food quality to attract patrons. This study attempted to find out if food quality is a major factor prompting customers to eat at a fast food facility. Burger King Corporation was selected to ascertain to what degree quality served to attract business. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire handed to passersby at the Miami International Mall and the Miami Dade Mall to find out the reason why patrons who ate at Burger King selected it. Six factors were covered: fast service, food quality, price, location, advertising and child preference. Results showed that food quality was fourth in prompting customers to eat at Burger King. Location, fast service and price were ranked first, second and third in importance.

The use of color coded prompts to influence students' food selections in choosing a balanced meal was investigated. Yellow, green, blue, and orange dots, representing the four major food groups, grains, fruit and vegetables, dairy, and meat respectively were displayed at the point-of-selection on food entree cards along the serving line of a college dining hall. Two grain servings, two fruit/vegetable servings, one dairy serving, and one meat serving, were suggested as the optimal combination for a balanced meal. The results indicated that the prompts, although noticed and understood by the majority of the students, did not significantly influence their food selections. These findings are inconsistent with earlier studies substantiating the effectiveness of color coded prompts at the point-of-selection in influencing food choices. Implications are discussed.

Food preferences to five most widespread invasive plant species from river floodplains: Impatiens glandulifera, Helianthus tuberosus, Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis a F.x bohemica and one native species - U. dioica were studied on two common land snail species. Using three different methods I tried to recognize, whether or not these plants serve as a food source to Succinea putris and Urticicola umbrosus. From histological sectionsit was impossible to identify the plants. The majority of plants don`t provide structures usable for identification of plant in the snail maces. I was able to identify only H. tuberosus and U. dioica undoubtedly, thanks to trichomes. According to the results of laboratory tests, the most important factors for snails food preferences are plant species and the condition of plant material. U. umbrosus consumed much less fresh material than S. putris. Consumption of frozen leaves became larger for both species. The most preffered plant species were U. dioica and H. tuberosus. Only frozen I. glandulifera was consumed. Fallopia spp. were rejected both, fresh or frozen.

This work focuses on food preferences of freshwater triclad Crenobia alpina and its position in spring food web. It explores the ability of C. alpina to capture living prey, considers ability of C. alpina and to survive feeding on several types of food. Furthermore it gives view on its occurence and ecological preferences in context of other spring species. One chapter is concerned with taxonomy, anatomy and ecology of Tricladida and C. alpina itself. Short term food-preference experiments show the ability of C. alpina to capture living Lumriculidae and larvae of Ephemeroptera. We don't confirm feeding of C. alpina on living Gammarus, although their occurence in our springs and ecological preferences are similar. C. alpina feeds significantly more on damaged prey without substantial afinity to any species. A year-long experiment on C. alpina in lab conditions finds that this flatworm is able to survive and even breed with nothing but filtred water. This fact connected with the observation of huge densities of flatworms in spring source, opens up a question whether C. alpina can be considered a real predator. Key words: Crenobia alpina, triclad flatworms, food preferences, spring

L’exposition au régime maternel durant la période périnatale, induit des processus d’empreintes orientant à long terme le phénotype et la santé des individus. De plus, les orientations alimentaires, telles que celles concernant les protéines, évoluent quantitativement et qualitativement. Ces deux constats, encouragent la communauté scientifique à s’interroger sur les conséquences de ces variations de consommation en protéines sur les générations futures. Ce projet de thèse vise à évaluer chez la descendance femelle rat, les effets d’une alimentation maternelle variant par la teneur (riche versus normal) et la qualité (sources animales versus végétales) en protéines sur la modification des préférences alimentaires et sur les risques métaboliques.Deux études ont été réalisées chez le rat. Une première étude a évalué l’impact de l’excès de protéines à travers un régime hyperprotéique (HP) à base de protéines de lait pendant la gestation. Une seconde étude a évalué les effets d’un régime HP de source protéique spécifique (lait, pois ou dinde) pendant la gestation et d’un régime de source protéique spécifique (lait, pois ou dinde) pendant l’allaitement. Une fois sevrés et jusqu’à l’âge adulte (étude 1 : 15 semaines ; étude 2 : 10 semaines), les ratons femelles ont été soumis à des modèles de « dietary self-selection » (DSS) leur laissant la possibilité de choisir la composition en macronutriments, le niveau de consommation alimentaire et la source protéique (étude 2 uniquement). Indépendamment du régime maternel, ces deux études ont montré que lorsque les sources en macronutriments étaient séparées dans le modèle DSS, les ratons présentaient une hyperphagie liée à une consommation accrue de lipides au détriment des glucides.De plus, les résultats de la seconde étude ont montré que les ratons n’orientaient pas spécifiquement leur consommation de protéines vers la source protéique à laquelle ils avaient été exposés via le régime maternel périnatal. En revanche, les deux études ont montré que la consommation d’un régime HP pendant la gestation, quelle que soit la qualité des protéines le composant, induisait une augmentation de l’adiposité chez la descendance femelle adulte. Cette augmentation était majorée lorsque la descendance avait été soumise au régime de choix (DSS), leur permettant d’augmenter leur consommation de lipides au détriment des glucides.En conclusion, l’exposition périnatale à un régime HP de qualité variable en protéines augmente la sensibilité au surpoids chez la descendance femelle adulte rat. Nous avons évalué les relations entre ces données et : la sensibilité des voies centrales du contrôle de la prise alimentaire et de la récompense, la sensibilité des voies de contrôle du métabolisme énergétique périphérique et la composition et l’activité du microbiote de l’intestin.Ces travaux apportent un grand nombre de nouvelles données indiquant clairement qu’une alimentation équilibrée en quantité et en qualité de protéines pendant la grossesse, à travers le ratio protéines/glucides et le profil en acides aminés, pourrait jouer un rôle clé sur des paramètres phénotypiques de la descendance notamment lorsqu’elle est soumise à des choix alimentaires augmentés. / Abstract : Perinatal exposure to maternal diet induces programming processes of later individual phenotype and health. Additionally, food orientations like for protein, change in terms of quantity and quality. These observations enhance scientific community to evaluate consequences of protein consumption changes on future generations.This thesis project aims to determine the consequences of modifying protein quantity and quality in maternal diets on food preferences and metabolic risks in female rat offspring.Two studies were conducted in rats. The first study evaluated the impact of protein excess in the maternal diet during gestation, through a high-protein (HP) diet composed with cow milk protein. The second study evaluated effects of (i) a HP diet composed with different protein sources (cow milk, pea, or turkey) during gestation and (ii) these different protein sources (cow milk, pea, or turkey-derived) during lactation. From weaning to adulthood (study 1: 15 weeks after birth; study 2; 10 weeks after birth), female pups were subjected to “dietary self-selection” (DSS), which allowed them to choose their own macronutrient compositions, level of food intake and protein sources (second study only).Regardless of the maternal diet, these two studies showed that when DSS was composed with separate macronutrients, rats exhibited overfeeding and increased lipid intake coupled with a decreased carbohydrate intake. Moreover, the results of the second study indicated that rats did not orient their protein intake towards the maternal protein source to which they were exposed during perinatal period. Nevertheless, the two studies showed that the maternal HP diet during gestation caused an increased adiposity in female adult offspring, regardless of the maternal protein source. This increase was stronger when offspring were subjected to DSS condition, which allowed them to increase lipid intake and decrease carbohydrate intake.In conclusion, perinatal exposure to a HP diet varying in protein quantity and quality increases the risk of becoming overweight in female rat adult offspring. We assess the relationship between these data and the the sensitivity of central pathways of food intake and reward control, the sensitivity of energetic and peripheral metabolic pathways, and the gut microbiota composition and activity.This work provides new data indicating that a balanced diet in protein quantity and quality during gestation, through a protein/carbohydrate ratio and amino acid profile, could play a key role on offspring phenotypic parameters, especially when submitted to increased dietary options.

No description available.

Yes / Objective: To examine score validity and reliability of a Child version of the 21-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQ-R21) in a sample of Canadian children and adolescents and its relationship with body mass index (BMI) z-scores and food/taste preferences. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: School-based. Subjects: 158 children, 63 boys (11.5±1.6 years) and 95 girls (11.9±1.9 years). Results: The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the CTFEQ-R21 was best represented by four factors with item 17 removed (CFFEQ-R20) representing Cognitive Restraint (CR), Cognitive Uncontrolled Eating (UE 1), External Uncontrolled Eating (UE 2), and Emotional Eating (EE) and accounted for 41.2% of the total common variance, with good scale reliability. ANOVAs revealed that younger children reported higher UE 1 scores and CR scores compared to older children, and boys who reported high UE 1 scores had significantly higher BMI Z-scores. Children with high UE 1 scores reported a greater preference for high protein and fat foods, and high-fat savoury (HFSA) and high-fat sweet (HFSW) foods. Higher preference for high protein, fat, and carbohydrate foods, and HFSA, HFSW, and low-fat savoury foods was found in children with high UE 2 scores. Conclusions: This study suggests that the CFFEQ-R20 can be used to measure eating behaviour traits and associations with BMI z-scores and food/taste preferences in Canadian children and adolescents. Future research is needed to examine the validity of the questionnaire in larger samples and in other geographical locations, as well as the inclusion of extraneous variables such as parental eating or socio-economic status.

Make Your Food Dollars Count is a program the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published to help low-income people improve their nutritional status and maximize the use of their food dollars. This program was implemented in Roanoke City at Mountain House, a special rehabilitation program sponsored by Mental Health Services of the Roanoke Valley; Melrose Tower Retirement Village and Morningside Manor Retirement Village. Program effectiveness was measured by food dollars saved, a decrease in good dollars spent on foods in the firth food group (fats, sweets, and alcohol), and improved dietary intake. The main instruments used to measure effectiveness were pre and post-demographic surveys, pre and post 24-hour recalls, and four food habit surveys. A total of 53 people participated in this study. Results show that were was an average $1.15 weekly decrease in the amount of money 12 participants attending sessions and four spent on foods in the fifth food group. An average of $4.23 per week was saved by those six participants who attended all four sessions. Fruit and Vegetable Adequacy and Milk and Milk Product Adequacy Subscores improved for all participants attending sessions one and four. The greatest dietary changes occurred for those participants attending all four sessions. / M.S.

This research project investigated the influences of a supermarket intervention on the food choices of parents and their children. Twenty-four families (11 experimental; 13 control) participated in this study. They used the NLS weekly when they completed their major shopping. The NLS was a public access, interactive information system located in the supermarket which provided users with information and feedback about how to decrease fat and increase fiber in their food purchases. During the intervention, participants in the experimental condition viewed a different videodisc program each week. In addition, they were able to enter their intended shopping purchases for each weekly shopping, and receive feedback about the items they intended to purchase. Control participants entered their intended purchases, but received no information or feedback. All participants sent in their detailed supermarket receipts. The NLS phases included baseline, intervention, and follow up. Families with children ages 8-15 years were recruited for the family study. Participants were interviewed pre- and post-assessment. One target child was selected from each family. The main family study measures were the Card Sorting Task (CST) and the Food History Questionnaire (FHQ). The CST used pictures of food items. The FHQ was used to evaluate the usual diet over one month. The CST task was analyzed with a Wilcoxon test; the FHQ task was analyzed with an ANCOVA, using the pre-assessment score as the covariate. The results indicated that experimental participants reported an increase in their consumption of low-fat dairy products and low-fat fruit (FHQ data). In addition, experimental participants reported a decrease in their behavior, preference and knowledge for high-fat snacks and and high-fat entrees (CST data). The results suggested that parents and their children may be positively affected by a public-access interactive videodisc information system directed to parent use. Overall, the results provided some evidence that parents who are involved in a nutrition intervention also will influence their children's food choices. Future research should further evaluate the effects of the intervention on different food categories and continue to investigate how changes in certain food choices affect other choices. Variables relating to health beliefs, types of foods to change, meal preparations, family characteristics, and behavior strategies all must be considered in future intervention programming. / Ph. D.

Food guides have been used for many years to aid individuals in food selection. This investigation was conducted in order to assess the compliance of college students with the National Cancer Institute's "Five A Day" recommendation. Three-day average consumption levels of antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene and the average number of servings of fruits and vegetables consumed were determined for 217 college students (95 males and 122 females) enrolled in an introductory nutrition class. Nutritional analysis was carried out using the Nutritionist IV software package. Descriptive statistics of the data included means and ranges. Results indicated that 82% of the students obtained 70% of the RDA for vitamin C and 85% obtained 70% of the RDA for vitamin E; 29% obtained 70% of the level of beta carotene recommended to reduce the risk of developing cancer. College students obtained adequate amounts of vitamin C but inadequate amounts of vitamin E and beta carotene recommended to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. Males obtained higher levels of vitamin C and E, while females obtained a higher level of beta carotene. Thirty-four percent of the students consumed at least two servings of fruits daily and 26% consumed at least three servings of vegetables daily. A total of 26% of the students obtained the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables. Males consumed a slightly greater number of fruits and vegetables compared to females. Consumption of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, in any combination, provided levels of vitamin C and beta carotene recommended to reduce the risk of developing cancer (52) but a marginal level of vitamin E (contained primarily in foods other than fruits and vegetables). Because cancer is one of the most common causes of death in the United States and because its risk can be reduced by appropriate diet, produce consumption should be encouraged. The Five A Day program has been developed to do this. Unfortunately, this program has reached only a small sector of the public. Therefore, health practitioners as well as individuals involved in the food industry must concentrate their efforts in educating the public to make wise food choices. / Master of Science