Influence of physiological and subjective arousal on food intake in humans.
OBJECTIVE
This study explored the influence of physiologic and subjective arousal on ambient factors of the food environment, such as the eating location, the presence of other people, sound, and time of day and on food intake. It was hypothesized that the influence of environmental stimuli on food intake would be mediated by arousal.


METHODS
College students were asked to wear heart rate monitors and to record their food intake in a 7-d diet diary. Subjective arousal (elation and excitement) and aspects of the eating environment were recorded for each meal occasion.


RESULTS
Results showed that subjective arousal seems to be related to food intake (P < 0.01) and appears to be affected by environmental stimuli such as the eating location (P < 0.01) and the number of people present (P < 0.01), but only small effects of some environmental stimuli on heart rate were found with higher average heart rates in restaurants (P < 0.05). No effects of heart rate on food intake were detected. Regression analyses failed to show arousal as a significant mediator between environmental stimuli and food intake.


CONCLUSIONS
It can be concluded that, for normal individuals in their everyday environment, ambient influences on food intake are not mediated by changes in arousal. However, the environment and the emotional state of the individual appear to play a role in the individual's eating behavior.
Stroebele
Nanette
N
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Center for Human Nutrition, Denver, Colorado, USA. nanette.stroebele@uchsc.edu
de Castro
John M
JM
D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins