We all have finicky friends who wrinkle their noses at sushi and
consider pizza an exotic eat. Now there's a name for their
cuisine-challenged condition: food neophobia, or anxiety over trying new
foods.
Robert A. Frank, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of
Cincinnati, asked over 300 men and women to rate the smells of foodstuffs
like canned asparagus while wearing a "sniffometer," a device which
measures the depth of their nasal inhales. They then completed surveys
rating their reactions to unfamiliar foods. Neophobics, or those deeming
themselves hesitant to try new things, found the smell of strange foods
less pleasant and tended to sniff with less vigor than their neophilic,
or more culinarily adventurous, counterparts.
Scientists found no differences in the two groups' physical
thresholds for intensity of smell and taste, so Frank contends that
neophobia is a matter of attitude, not chemistry.
Neophobia is seen in many young animals learning to distinguish
between edible and inedible substances. "It makes sense not to eat just
anything," says Frank. But the ability to embrace new things is a key to
gaining knowledge, he points out. If left unchecked, neophobia can limit
dietary variety, depriving people of essential nutrients.
For that reason, says Frank, it's important for parents to foster
kids' curiosity in cuisine. Picky eaters can benefit from repeated
exposure to feared foods, but simply smelling or eyeing new foods won't
work.
"It's a matter of trying them," says Frank. After all, many people
reject foreign foods at first taste, but with time, the dishes become
more pleasing to the palate.
Tags:
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