Autumn Lange
May 15, 2013
WRIT 1133: SE5
After
reading the food logs of myself and my classmates, one behavior in particular
stood out as common throughout most of them- snacking. We’ve already
established that as a country we are seeing a transition from a more structured
three-meal-a-day plan to a more random pattern of snacking throughout the day,
and this holds true for the majority of our class. But what exactly are the
health implications of eating many small meals or snacks rather than three
large meals? A study published in the journal Current
Topics in Nutraceuticals Research
set
out to answer this question. They studied a group of participants who were a
variety of ages and professions, analyzing their physical and mental health and
comparing it to their snack consumption. Their findings are interesting and
slightly unexpected. There was no correlation between snacking and physical
health. The Cohen-Hobermann
index of physical symptoms was used to measure the physical health of the
participants; it is a validated and widely used assessment of physical health.
While there was no significant difference between those who frequently snacked
and those who didn’t in terms of physical health, there were very intriguing
findings in the realm of mental health. Participants who snacked daily rated
lower on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale than those who did not
snack. This is somewhat surprising, and perhaps can be explained by the fact
that many people snack as a form of emotional eating. This conclusion is
strengthened by the finding that daily snackers were more likely to eat cakes,
crisps, biscuits, and chocolate, which are foods more commonly associated with
emotional eating. People who snacked on a daily basis were, accordingly, less
likely to choose fruit, yogurt or cheese than those who didn’t snack, as well,
pointing to a tendency to go for more processed foods when snacking.
Reasonably, although there were not findings of a change in physical health,
these foods are less healthy- and the people who consume them know it. People
who snacked more frequently (and therefore ate less healthy foods) were more
aware of the consequences. They rated higher in being more concerned about
their health for the future as compared to those who snacked less frequently or
not at all. Conversely, they rated lower in terms of caring about being healthy
in the present. Foods like chips and soft drinks had a direct negative
correlation with motivations to be healthy or motivations to avoid
unhealthiness. These statistics numerically illustrate the problem with
snacking. People know that it’s an unhealthy practice, but continue to do it
anyway, despite being concerned about their health in the future. The fact that
people who snack more frequently are less depressed points to a phenomenon of
using food as comfort. This study’s results are not absolute, however. A much
larger female group was studied as compared to males, which could have some
bearing on the result. Furthermore, it is surprising that more frequent
consumption of chocolates and cakes do not have negative physical health
effects. Further research in this area might be recommended before we all start
to stuff ourselves with sweets.
set
out to answer this question. They studied a group of participants who were a
variety of ages and professions, analyzing their physical and mental health and
comparing it to their snack consumption. Their findings are interesting and
slightly unexpected. There was no correlation between snacking and physical
health. The Cohen-Hobermann
index of physical symptoms was used to measure the physical health of the
participants; it is a validated and widely used assessment of physical health.
While there was no significant difference between those who frequently snacked
and those who didn’t in terms of physical health, there were very intriguing
findings in the realm of mental health. Participants who snacked daily rated
lower on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale than those who did not
snack. This is somewhat surprising, and perhaps can be explained by the fact
that many people snack as a form of emotional eating. This conclusion is
strengthened by the finding that daily snackers were more likely to eat cakes,
crisps, biscuits, and chocolate, which are foods more commonly associated with
emotional eating. People who snacked on a daily basis were, accordingly, less
likely to choose fruit, yogurt or cheese than those who didn’t snack, as well,
pointing to a tendency to go for more processed foods when snacking.
Reasonably, although there were not findings of a change in physical health,
these foods are less healthy- and the people who consume them know it. People
who snacked more frequently (and therefore ate less healthy foods) were more
aware of the consequences. They rated higher in being more concerned about
their health for the future as compared to those who snacked less frequently or
not at all. Conversely, they rated lower in terms of caring about being healthy
in the present. Foods like chips and soft drinks had a direct negative
correlation with motivations to be healthy or motivations to avoid
unhealthiness. These statistics numerically illustrate the problem with
snacking. People know that it’s an unhealthy practice, but continue to do it
anyway, despite being concerned about their health in the future. The fact that
people who snack more frequently are less depressed points to a phenomenon of
using food as comfort. This study’s results are not absolute, however. A much
larger female group was studied as compared to males, which could have some
bearing on the result. Furthermore, it is surprising that more frequent
consumption of chocolates and cakes do not have negative physical health
effects. Further research in this area might be recommended before we all start
to stuff ourselves with sweets.
http://0-search.proquest.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/docview/919439043
It interesting to see the correlations between snacking and not just the impacts it has on a persons physical health, but how it impacts their mental health. I would not have guessed that individuals who tend to snack throughout the day are more likely to have lower stress levels than those who don't.
ReplyDeleteAs a whole you did a good job of interpreting the study in such a way that it is understandable for a broader audience. You used a much more common vernacular than the scholarly language used in the study. It seems that you do a lot of paraphrasing which I think is a good way to present the information.
I would take out the first sentence and replace it with something more engaging. I don't think you need to say you read your classmate blog. I would also try and make the essay more structure. As it is right now it more a collection of facts. I would try to draw some conclusions about them.
The practice that you are targeting is snacking and it seems that there are two types of snackers with two separate health implications (which makes sense): those who snack everyday are more likely to eating cake, cookies, and processed foods and, as a result, be associated with depression and obesity. People who snack less often are conscious about the eating decisions they make and usually eat fruits and vegetable and have a healthier lifestyle for the long-term. You use the sources well to convey your ideas and you do well with reiterating the final conclusions which helps people understand the research more clearly. It may be more clear if you break up the big paragraph and hone in on two or three specific areas while tying them together. Very nice and interesting research though
ReplyDelete