Evolutionary explanations for food preference
Introduction
Food choices today influenced by food preferences of hunter-gatherer
ancestors.
AO1
Ancestor’s hunter-gatherers for many generations of evolution.
EEA (environment of evolutionary adaptation) = African Savannah
Hunter-gatherer lifestyle had high energy expenditure
Food supply unpredictable/unreliable
Ancestors preferred high calorific food
Diet = adaptive. Individuals who are high fat/calorie diet more likely to
survive & reproduce
Preference for food types evolved through natural selection, passed on
generation – generation
Meat – high calorific food.
Milton: Diet allowed us to evolve.
Taste aversion – aversion to taste of foods poisonous/harmful
Medicine effect – preference for taste of food which are beneficial
AO2
Preferred foods still high fat: Choosing same food as hunter-gatherer
ancestors.
Choose despite education & media: Tell us they’re bad. Programming for
foods still strong.
Gibson & Wardle: 5 year olds. Given choice of foods. Chose high calorie
foods over sweet/familiar foods.
Abrams: Anthropological evidence suggests meat preference common
throughout all cultures.
Stanford: Research with chimpanzees – faced similar problems to
ancestors. Have similar high calorie/meat preference diet.
Introduction
Food choices today influenced by food preferences of hunter-gatherer
ancestors.
AO1
Ancestor’s hunter-gatherers for many generations of evolution.
EEA (environment of evolutionary adaptation) = African Savannah
Hunter-gatherer lifestyle had high energy expenditure
Food supply unpredictable/unreliable
Ancestors preferred high calorific food
Diet = adaptive. Individuals who are high fat/calorie diet more likely to
survive & reproduce
Preference for food types evolved through natural selection, passed on
generation – generation
Meat – high calorific food.
Milton: Diet allowed us to evolve.
Taste aversion – aversion to taste of foods poisonous/harmful
Medicine effect – preference for taste of food which are beneficial
AO2
Preferred foods still high fat: Choosing same food as hunter-gatherer
ancestors.
Choose despite education & media: Tell us they’re bad. Programming for
foods still strong.
Gibson & Wardle: 5 year olds. Given choice of foods. Chose high calorie
foods over sweet/familiar foods.
Abrams: Anthropological evidence suggests meat preference common
throughout all cultures.
Stanford: Research with chimpanzees – faced similar problems to
ancestors. Have similar high calorie/meat preference diet.
