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An Evidence-Based Approach to the Nutritional Quality of Home Meals: Exploring Emotional Reinforcement and Attachment Style as Underlying Mechanisms

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Diet Quality

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

It is widely observed that food consumption, in terms of its nutritional quality, is typically healthier at home than in away-from-home settings [1, 2]; supporting evidences were extensively documented in the chapter by Woodruff and Hanning showing an important association between family meals and diet quality. This leads to the present chapter’s theoretical interest of taking an evidence-based approach to further explore the underlying mechanisms contributing to the protective effects of home on healthy eating. Using theoretical rationales and empirical examinations, this chapter proposes that emotional reinforcement and parent/child attachment style are potential protective mechanisms accounting for healthier eating patterns occurring at home. Particularly, we will first examine evidence revealing that positive moods experienced at home can be associated with food consumption, especially with healthy food intake, therefore increasing the emotional reinforcing value of healthy meals at home. We will then demonstrate that a trusting and caring parent/child relationship starting as early as birth and internalized as a secure attachment style may facilitate such an emotional reinforcement and lead to a life-long healthier eating habits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business and Social Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, 550, Truro, NS, Canada, B2N 5E3

    Ji Lu

  2. Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Aida Faber & Laurette Dubé

Authors
  1. Ji Lu
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  2. Aida Faber
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  3. Laurette Dubé
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ji Lu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. Rosemead Surgery, 8A Ray Park Avenue, Maidenhead, SL6 8DS, Berkshire, United Kingdom

    Lan-Anh Hunter

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Lu, J., Faber, A., Dubé, L. (2013). An Evidence-Based Approach to the Nutritional Quality of Home Meals: Exploring Emotional Reinforcement and Attachment Style as Underlying Mechanisms. In: Preedy, V., Hunter, LA., Patel, V. (eds) Diet Quality. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7339-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7339-8_3

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7338-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7339-8

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