Not eating enough : overcoming underconsumption of military operational rations / Committee on Military Nutrition Research, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine ; Bernadette M. Marriott, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Marriott, Bernadette M.

Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Military Nutrition Research.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Operational rations (Military supplies)--United States.

Operational rations (Military supplies).

Soldiers--United States--Nutrition.

Soldiers.

Physical Description:

xiii, 483 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1995.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Eating enough food to meet nutritional needs and maintain good health and good performance in all aspects of life--both at home and on the job--is important for all of us throughout our lives. For military personnel, however, this presents a special challenge. Although soldiers typically have a number of options for eating when stationed on a base, in the field during missions their meals come in the form of operational rations. Unfortunately, military personnel in training and field operations often do not eat their rations in the amounts needed to ensure that they meet their energy and nutrient requirements and consequently lose weight and potentially risk loss of effectiveness both in physical and cognitive performance. This book contains 20 chapters by military and nonmilitary scientists from such fields as food science, food marketing and engineering, nutrition, physiology, psychology, and various medical specialties. Although described within a context of military tasks, the committee's conclusions and recommendations have wide-reaching implications for people who find that job-related stress changes their eating habits.

Contents:

Not Eating Enough

Copyright

Preface

FOCUS OF THE REPORT

HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE TASK AND PROCEDURES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

REFERENCES

Contents

Part I Committee Summary and Recommendations

1 Introduction and Background

THE COMMITTEE'S TASK

Terms Used in This Report

Definition of the Problem and Report Organization

LOWERED INTAKE AND PERFORMANCE

Overview of Energy Intakes During Military Exercise

Effects of Ration Modifications in Energy Intake, Weight Change, and Food Acceptance

When Does Soldier Physical Performance Decline as a Result of Lowered Consumption?

Impact of Suboptimal Consumption of Military Operational Rations on Cognitive Performance

Implications of Underconsumption of Macronutrients

ATTRIBUTES OF EATING THAT AFFECT CONSUMPTION

The Physical Eating Situation

Social Facilitation of Food Intake

Commanders' Perceptions and Attitudes about their Responsibilities for Feeding Soldiers

Eating Situations, Food Appropriateness, and Consumption

ATTRIBUTES OF FOOD THAT AFFECT CONSUMPTION

Food Stereotypes and Food Image

Food Quality, Quantity, and Variety

Food as a Product

Beverage-Food Interactions

Biological Rhythms and Timing

NEW CHANGES IN MILITARY OPERATIONAL RATIONS AND FIELD FEEDING

Ration Evolution

The Current Situation with Army Field Feeding

Scenario in the Future

PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION BY NRDEC

References

2 Conclusions and Recommendations

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS POSED TO THE COMMITTEE

CONCLUSIONS

The Underconsumption Problem

Potential Effects of Underconsumption on Performance

Strategies to Overcome Underconsumption

RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY NUTRITION RESEARCH ALSO RECOMMENDS:

AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Part II Background and Introduction to the Topic.

3 Introduction to the Concepts and Issues Underlying Underconsumption of Field Rations

INTRODUCTION

DISCUSSION

4 Army Field Feeding System-Future

Background

AN ILLUSTRATION OF ARMY FIELD FEEDING3

The Current Situation

Deficiencies in the Existing System

PROPOSED ARMY FIELD FEEDING PROGRAM

Long-Term Equipment Plans

PLANNING THE RATIONS

CONCLUSION

5 Commanders' Perceptions and Attitudes About Their Responsibility for Feeding Soldiers

SURVEY METHODS

RESULTS

Nutrition Knowledge

Commanders' Perceived Responsibility for Feeding Soldiers

Anecdotal Comments

6 Nutritional Criteria for Development and Testing of Military Field Rations: An Historical Perspective

NUTRITIONAL STANDARDS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY RATIONS

NUTRITIONAL CRITERIA FOR TESTING MILITARY RATIONS

Background on Development of the Meal, Ready-to-Eat Ration

1993 MRE Test-Hawaii

Background on Development of the Combat Field Feeding System-Force Development Test and Experimentation

1985 CFFS-FDTE Test-Hawaii

1986 MRE Improvement Test-Hawaii

1989 MRE Cold-Weather Supplement Test-Alaska

7 Evolution of Rations: The Pursuit of Universal Acceptance

OPERATIONAL RATIONS

CURRENT AND FUTURE OPERATIONAL RATIONS

Meal, Ready-to-Eat

Tray Rations

B Ration

A Ration

Unitized Group Ration

NUTRITIONAL LABELING

FUTURE FIELD FEEDING CONCEPTS

8 Overview of Dietary Intakes During Military Exercises

METHODS

LIMITATIONS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Dietary and Energy Intakes in Garrison

Dietary and Energy Intakes in the Field.

Dietary and Energy Intakes During Cold Weather Field Training

Dietary and Energy Intakes of Military Women

Intentional Weight Loss

Carbohydrate

Protein

Micronutrients

Food Waste

Variety

Energy Intakes Versus Energy Expenditures

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

The Ration

Training Schedule and Situation

Environment

Command Emphasis

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

9 The Effects of Ration Modifications on Energy Intake, Body Weight Change, and Food Acceptance

MEAL, READY-TO-EAT

Prolonged Feeding Studies

Changes in the Meal, Ready-to-Eat

Tray Ration

CONDITIONS FOR RATION IMPROVEMENT

The Role of Variety

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Part III Factors Underlying Food Intake and Underconsumption-Food

10 The Role of Image, Stereotypes, and Expectations on the Acceptance and Consumption of Rations

RATION IMAGE AND STEREOTYPE

General Public and Media Image

Image of Rations Among Military

Characteristics of the Image and its Origins

THE ROLE OF CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS IN FOOD ACCEPTANCE

Informational Variables

Models of Disconfirmed Expectations

Assimilation Effects

Implications of an Assimilation Model

EFFECTS ON CONSUMPTION

Effects of Information and Packaging

Effects of Social Communications

11 Effects of Food Quality, Quantity, and Variety on Intake

SATIETY AND FOOD INTAKE

Energy Density and Food Intake

Dietary Fat and Food Intake

Dietary Fiber and Food Intake

QUANTITY AND FORM OF FOOD

Portion Size

Form of Food

Food Labels

SENSORY-SPECIFIC SATIETY AND VARIETY

Changing Hedonic Responses to Foods During a Meal

Variety and Intake During a Meal.

Monotony in the Diet

Variety and Body Weight

12 Effects of Beverage Consumption and Hydration Status on Caloric Intake

CONTRIBUTION OF BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION TO CALORIC INTAKE IN THE FIELD

EFFECTS OF WATER AVAILABILITY AND HYDRATION STATUS ON FOOD INTAKE

FACTORS AFFECTING FLUID INTAKE DURING MILITARY FIELD EXERCISES

The Influence of the Drinking Environment on Fluid Intake

The Effects of Beverage Attributes on Fluid Intake

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations Related to Ration Products

Recommendations Related to Situational Issues: The Field Environment

13 Industry Approaches to Food Research

FOOD INDUSTRY FINDINGS

Consumer Acceptance

Food Behavior

How Free-Ranging Consumers Eat

Observation Techniques

Food Research and Physiology

Amount of Consumption

Packaging

Seasonings

Part IV Underconsumption and Performance

14 When Does Energy Deficit Affect Soldier Physical Performance?

ASSESSING UNDERCONSUMPTION

Baseline Nutritional Status

Overnourished Soldiers

Nutritional Status of Female Soldiers

ASSESSING PERFORMANCE

Work Capacity and Energy Expenditure

Specific Tests of Performance

EFFECTS OF ENERGY DEFICIT ON STRENGTH

EFFECTS OF ENERGY DEFICIT ON AEROBIC CAPACITY

SHORT-TERM STUDIES WITH HIGH-ENERGY EXPENDITURES

Norwegian Ranger Training: Intensive Training with Large Energy Deficits

Canadian Forces Commandos Study: Intensive Training With Small Energy Deficits

15 Impact of Underconsumption on Cognitive Performance

BACKGROUND

Underconsumption

Cognitive Performance

Methodological Issues

Field Settings

Normative Data.

Control Group Data

Cognitive Performance Tests

Environmental Conditions at Testing

Performance Motivation

Consideration of Individual Differences

Investigator Bias

Influence of Underconsumption on Cognitive Performance

PROPOSED RELATIONSHIP OF UNDERCONSUMPTION TO COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

16 The Functional Effects of Carbohydrate and Energy Underconsumption

CARBOHYDRATE RESTRICTION

ENERGY RESTRICTION

Early Effects of Caloric Deprivation

Effects on Lean Body Mass and Function

Energy Deficits Induced by Exercise

Energy Deficits and Immune Function

Part V Factors Underlying Food Intake and Underconsumption-The Eating Situation and Social Issues

17 The Physical Eating Situation

THE PHYSICAL SITUATION

General Conditions

Deployment to the Field

Soldiers' Attitudes

Meal Timing

Meal Frequency

Meal Duration

Meal Regularity and Predictability

Meals and Circadian Rhythms

Ration Aspects of the Field Situation

Sensory Cues

Ration Preparation and Use

Food Choice and Selection

The Eating Context

Nonsensory Cues

Individual Versus Group Rations

18 Eating Situations, Food Appropriateness, and Consumption

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR SITUATIONAL RESEARCH

FOOD COGNITIVE-CONTEXT RESEARCH

Laboratory Appropriateness Studies

19 From Biologic Rhythms to Chronomes Relevant for Nutrition

MEAL TIMING IN TERMS OF CALORIES AND SEDENTARY LIMITED MOTOR ACTIVITY

Timing the Kinds of Calories

Meal and Performance Timing.

Meal Timing and the Body's Time Structure (Chronome).

Notes:

"This publication, Not Eating Enough, Overcoming Underconsumption of Military Operational Rations, is another in a series of reports based on workshops sponsored by the Committee on Military Nutrition Research (CMNR) of the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences"--P. v.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786610192816

9780309176101

0309176107

9781280192814

128019281X

9780309556569

0309556562

9780585030821

0585030820

OCLC:

923266927