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Differences in the Desire to Eat in Children and Adults in the Presence of an Obese Eater
Author(s) -
Barthomeuf Laetitia R.D.,
DroitVolet Sylvie M.N.,
Rousset Sylvie M.E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1038/oby.2011.26
Subject(s) - disgust , pleasure , psychology , developmental psychology , facial expression , young adult , expression (computer science) , medicine , clinical psychology , anger , communication , neuroscience , computer science , programming language
Previous research has shown that the desire to eat foods decreases in adults in the presence of an obese eater compared to a normal‐weight eater. This study investigated whether or not this decrease in eating desire was observed in younger children in the same way as in adults. Children aged 5 and 8 years old, as well as adults, were presented with photographs of liked and disliked foods presented either alone or with normal‐weight and obese eaters expressing three different emotions—pleasure, disgust, and neutrality—toward these food products. The results showed that the eater's weight status had a greater effect on the adults' desire to eat than on that of the children. Adults were influenced by the eater's weight status, regardless of the facial expression or the food category. Compared to adults, the impact of the eater's weight status on the children's desire to eat depended on the emotional facial expression and the children's food preferences. Thus, when children did not like the foods, their eating desire was negatively influenced by the eater's obese status, as was that of adults. On the other hand, when children liked the food products, the eater's weight status had no effect on their eating desire. They were more influenced by the eater's facial expressions. Thus, an expression of pleasure increased the desire to eat the liked foods in the younger children, whereas an expression of disgust decreased it. These results are discussed in terms of the high sensitivity of young children to emotional facial expressions.