Conditioned preferences: young children prefer flavors associated with high dietary fat.
In two experiments, 20 2-5-year-old children participated in a series of 8 conditioning trials to investigate whether they acquired conditioned preferences based on the fat content of a food. On different days, each child consumed fixed quantities of novelly flavored yogurts that were high or low in fat and energy density (220 or 110 kcal/serving). After conditioning, patterns of ad lib consumption data provided evidence of caloric compensation in response to the energy density differences in the preloads. Children consumed more following the low- than the high-fat preloads. Preference assessments, performed pre- and postconditioning, revealed conditioned flavor preferences based on fat content: children increased their preference for the high-density paired flavor, but no change in preference was noted for the low-density paired flavor. These data suggest that such conditioned flavor preferences based on energy density may be contributing to children's preferences for foods high in dietary fat.
Johnson
S L
SL
Child Development Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
McPhee
L
L
Birch
L L
LL
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats