Behavioral-developmental researches on the origin of eating problems

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Henshoku is a common word for Japanese which is used frequently to refer eating problems in everyday life among people. We tried to define the semantic structure of Henshoku by a method of psychometrics and developed a psychological scale to measure Henshoku (HS) which had four subscales measuring: 1) pickiness about food (PE), 2) tendency to Eat Out (EO), 3) indifference to nutrition (IN), and 4) Range of Food eaten (RF). In order to find some psychological correlates with Henshoku, we run the Health questionnaire(HQ), the Japanese version of DEBQ, the Japanese version of Food Neophobia(FNP), and the Big Five personality inventory together with HS to the university students. Results showed the tendency of Henshoku, especially the subscale PE, was related with subjective bad feeling for health(HQ), the tendency for neophobia(FNP) and the tendency for restraint eating(DEBQ). Results also showed that positive correlations between Neuroticism, and HS and EO, and negative correlations between Openness and EO, and negative correlations between Conscientiousness and HS, IN and RF. Finally, the five Conscientiousness subscales were all correlated with HS, IN and RF. In Japan, the toddlers and adults characterized as Henshoku have drawn much attention because of their possible nutritional and health problems. Our results suggested that their eating problems may be linked to personality characteristics, and efforts to improve their eating habits should focus, at least in part, on personality issues.