Using participant hedonic ratings of food images to construct data driven food groupings

• Published in: Appetite 2014-08, Vol.79, p.189-196
• Main Authors: Johnson, Susan L., Boles, Richard E., Burger, Kyle S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Body Mass Index; Diet - psychology; Energy Intake; Feeding Behavior - psychology; Female; Food and beverages; Food Preferences; Hedonic value; Humans; Male; Meat; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - psychology; Pleasure; Principal Component Analysis; Vegetables; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.021

•Food groups constructed from hedonic ratings differ from traditional food groups.•Seven groups emerged: Energy-Dense and Light Main Courses, Seafood, Meats, Fruits, Grains, and Desserts.•Based on liking, no component that represented vegetables was identified.•BMI was positively related to appeal ratings, particularly for energy-dense foods. Little is known regarding how individuals’ hedonic ratings of a variety of foods interrelate and how hedonic ratings correspond to habitual dietary intake. Participant ratings of food appeal of 104 food images were collected while participants were in a fed state (n = 129). Self-reported frequency of intake of the food items, perceived hunger, body mass index (BMI), and dietary restraint were also assessed. Principal components analysis (PCA) was employed to analyze hedonic ratings of the foods, to identify component structures and to reduce the number of variables. The resulting component structures comprised 63 images loading on seven components including Energy-Dense Main Courses, Light Main Courses and Seafood as well as components more analogous to traditional food groups (e.g., Fruits, Grains, Desserts, Meats). However, vegetables were not represented in a unique, independent component. All components were positively correlated with reported intake of the food items (r's = .26–.52, p