Food is never enough: nature and nurture's influence on children's food dose evaluation

Abstract

This study investigated whether if socioeconomic factors and\or food palatability influence food amount evaluation among children. Ninety-four children, 10-15 years old, living in Mali in Africa, and 124 living in northern Italy were asked to evaluate an amount of palatable and non palatable candies. The evaluations were compared both to the real number of candies and to that given by the other group. Both Italian and Malian children underestimated the edible candies, interestingly however Malian children did not underestimate altered candies. The data suggest that food dose underestimation is a transcultural characteristic. Evaluation of palatable food is not influenced by socio cultural factors. Underestimation could be a biological protective factor against food shortage; in case of food abundance it could play a role in onset and maintenance of obesity.