Page 156 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

response. An example of a chain is watching television, going to the kitchen at commercial breaks, getting a
snack, eating the snack, and feeling satisfied or less bored reinforcer. The components of the chain should be
identified, and then a break in the chain should be planned, such as doing stretching exercises or laundry at
commercials.

CASE ANALYSIS 2

What are Martha’s possible antecedents or cues to eating? Can you identify any response chains?

Behavior

After identifying antecedents, the nutrition professional and client can explore the eating behavior itself by
investigating the speed of eating, the reasons for eating, the presence of others, and activities carried on during
meals or snacks, such as watching television. The chain of eating too rapidly, for example, can be broken by
introducing delays in eating, such as resting the utensils after a bite of food or pausing for conversation. Also,
eating behaviors can be modified by encouraging the person to focus on eating as a single event in which he or
she concentrates on the act of eating and enjoying the flavors of the foods.

CASE ANALYSIS 3

Identify two specific behavior changes that Martha may want to try.

Consequences

Consequences of eating are described as reinforcements or rewards. Because behavior may be maintained by
its consequences, efforts are made to arrange consequences that will maintain desirable behaviors. The
consequences of eating may be positive, negative, or neutral. In general, positive consequences are more
effective in promoting change than negative or punishing consequences. Reinforcers may be earned over a
long period of time or they may be of short term. For example, a long-term reinforcer may be fitting into
smaller size clothes after a weight loss program. A short-term reinforcer may be avoiding purchasing “empty
calories” from the snack machine, setting the money that would have been spent on the snack aside, and then
purchasing a book at the end of the week with the money saved. Alternatives to eating may be included, such
as walking or exercising, calling a friend, gardening, or working on a hobby.

If the client’s current eating habits are pleasurable and if food is considered its own reward, then new and
different rewards must be established. Eating is a powerfully motivated behavior, the occurrence of which is
necessary to maintain life, a positive reinforcement. The nutrition professional can help to identify new
reinforcers with clients and introduce healthier food choices.

Acquired taste can be developed for a broader selection of foods and can steer choices to healthier
selections. In some cases, a client may be aware of foods prepared only one way, which were not pleasing to
eat. If a new preparation method is described, the client may be receptive to trying the food. For example, a
client may dislike asparagus because he or she knows it only as the long skinny vegetable that is boiled and

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