Self-regulation of healthy nutrition: automatic and controlled processes.

BACKGROUND: Self-regulatory behaviour refers to both controlled and automatic processes. When people are distracted, automatic over controlled processes prevail. This was analysed with regard to nutritional behaviour (food choices, beverage intake) in situations of low or high distraction. METHODS: A self-concept Implicit Association Test (IAT) was adapted to assess the implicit associations of self (vs. other) with healthy (vs. unhealthy) food. Explicit preferences for healthy and unhealthy food and the diet's healthiness were measured by self-report. Both implicit and explicit measures were used as predictors of nutritional behaviour. Among 90 undergraduates, the choice of fruit versus snack in a food choice task (low distraction) and the amount of mineral water and soft drinks consumed in a taste comparison task to cover liquid intake (high distraction) were observed. RESULTS: In the low distraction situation, food choice was predicted solely by explicit measures. Fruits were chosen less, when unhealthy foods were explicitly liked. In the high distraction situation, mineral water intake was predicted solely by the IAT. Participants implicitly associating themselves with healthy foods drank more mineral water than those implicitly associating themselves with unhealthy foods. CONCLUSIONS: Nutritional behaviour is influenced by both automatic and controlled processes depending on the available capacity for self-regulation.

Adolescent Turkish migrants' eating behavior in Germany: A comparison to nonmigrants in the home and host countries based on the prototype-willingness model.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present research was to examine the regulation of eating behavior among adolescents with a Turkish migration background living in Germany in comparison with adolescent nonmigrants from the host (Germany) and home country (Turkey). The prototype-willingness model (PWM) was chosen and analyzed with respect to differences in mean levels and predictions of its social-cognitive factors. METHOD: Two studies were conducted. Study 1 was longitudinal with 131 adolescent Turkish migrants and 303 Germans, whereas Study 2 was cross-sectional with 102 adolescent Turkish migrants and 270 Turks. Sociodemographic information, PWM variables, and eating behavior were enquired via questionnaire. Group differences in means and prediction patterns were analyzed using multiple-group structural equation modeling. Analyses were conducted separately introducing PWM variables to eat either unhealthy (unhealthy model) or healthy foods (healthy model). RESULTS: The studies show consistent differences in means and predictions between Turkish migrants and Germans as well as Turks. The regulation of Turkish migrants' eating behavior was found to be intentional, whereas Germans and Turks showed both an impulsive and intentional regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Effective interventions on healthy eating for Turkish migrants need to be tailored according to their specific regulation of eating behavior.

Adolescents' eating behaviour in general and in the peer context: testing the prototype-willingness model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prototype-willingness model (PWM) for eating behaviour in general and in the peer context in order to gain further evidence on the PWM and social-reactive processes in adolescents' eating behaviour. DESIGN: A longitudinal study was conducted. PWM variables for unhealthy and healthy eating were assessed at baseline in 356 adolescents (mean age 12.61 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eating behaviour was measured four weeks after baseline by two indicators: general eating pattern index (self-report) and consumption of unhealthy and healthy snacks in the peer context (behavioural observation). For both, structural equation models were conducted introducing PWM variables for either unhealthy or healthy eating. RESULTS: The PWM was mainly confirmed for the eating pattern index; intention, willingness and prototype perception had direct effects. Differences between unhealthy and healthy eating were found. Moreover, the PWM contributed to the prediction of healthy, but not unhealthy, snack consumption over and above current hunger; willingness had a direct effect. CONCLUSIONS: The PWM can be applied to predict and understand adolescents' eating behaviour. Social-reactive processes, namely willingness and prototype perception, are behavioural determinants that should be considered in theory and as novel targets in health promotion interventions.