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AI may have solved a debate on whether a dinoprint was from a herbivore or meat eater

An international team of researchers has, for the first time, used AI to analyse the tracks of dinosaurs, and the AI has come out on top – beating trained palaeontologists at their own game. “In extreme examples of theropod and ornithopod footprints, their footprint shapes are easy to tell apart -theropod with long, narrow toes and ornithopods with short, dumpy toes. But it is the tracks that are in-between these shapes that are not so clear cut in terms of who made them,” one of the researchers, University of Queensland palaeontologist Dr Anthony Romilio, told Cosmos. “We wanted to see if AI could learn these differences and, if so, then could be tested in distinguishing more challenging three-toed footprints.” Theropods are meat eating dinosaurs, while ornithopods are plant eating, and getting this analysis wrong can alter the data which shows diversity and abundance of dinosaurs in the area, or could even change what we think are the behaviours of certain dinos. One set of dinosaur prints in particular had been a struggle for the researchers to analyse. Large footprints at the Dinosaur Stampede National monument in Queensland had divided Romilio and his colleagues. The mysterious tracks were thought to be left during the mid-Cretaceous Period, around 93 million years ago, and could have been from either a meat eating theropod or a plant eating ornithopod. “I consider them footprints of a plant-eater while my colleagues share the much wider consensus that they are theropod tracks.” <div class="advert ad-in-content"> <div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca" style="display: none;"></div> </div> So, an AI called a Convolutional Neutral Network, was brought in to be a deciding factor. “We were pretty stuck, so thank god for modern technology,” says <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jens-Lallensack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr Jens Lallensack</a>, lead author from Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. “In our research team of three, one person was pro-meat-eater, one person was undecided, and one was pro-plant-eater. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p224866-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/history/dinosaur-ai-theropod-ornithopods/#wpcf7-f6-p224866-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “So – to really check our science – we decided to go to five experts for clarification, plus use AI.” The AI was given nearly 1,500 already known tracks to learn which dinosaurs were which. The tracks were simple line drawings to make it easier for the AI to analyse. <div class="advert ad-in-content"> <div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca" style="display: none;"></div> </div> Then they began testing. Firstly, 36 new tracks were given to a team of experts, the AI and the researchers. “Each of us had to sort these into the categories of footprints left by meat-eaters and those by plant-eaters,” says Romilio. “In this the ai was the clear winner with 90% correctly identified. Me and one of my colleagues came next with ~75% correct.” Then, they went for the crown jewel – the Dinosaur Stampede National monument tracks. When the AI analysed this it came back with a pretty strong result that they’re plant eating ornithopod tracks. It’s not entirely sure though, the data suggests that there’s a 1 in 5,000,000 chance it could be a theropod instead. <div class="advert ad-in-content"> <div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca" style="display: none;"></div> </div> This is still early days for using AI in this way. In the future. the researchers are hoping for funding for a FrogID style app which anyone could use to analyse dinosaur tracks. “Our hope is to develop an app so anyone can take a photo on their smartphone, use the app and it will tell you what type of dinosaur track it is,” says Romilio. “It will also be useful for drone work survey for dinosaur tracksites, collecting and analysing image data and identifying fossil footprints remotely.” The paper has been published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2022.0588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Society Interface</a>.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=224866&title=AI+may+have+solved+a+debate+on+whether+a+dinoprint+was+from+a+herbivore+or+meat+eater" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/dinosaur-ai-theropod-ornithopods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Jacinta Bowler. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

Vegetarians more likely to be depressed than meat-eaters

Vegetarians have around twice as many depressive episodes as meat-eaters, according to a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032722010643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a>. The study, based on survey data from Brazil, chimes with <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animals-and-us/201812/the-baffling-link-between-vegetarianism-and-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earlier research</a> that found higher rates of depression among those who forgo meat. However, the new study suggests that this link exists independent of nutritional intake. It may seem straightforward to look at a link between a diet and specific health problems and assume that the former is causing the latter via some form of nutritional deficiency. Yet the new analysis, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, took into account a wide range of nutritional factors, including total calorie intake, protein intake, micronutrient intake, and the level of food processing. This suggests that the higher rates of depression among vegetarians are not caused by the nutritional content of their diet. So what might explain the link between vegetarianism and depression? Is there some non-nutritional mechanism that makes the former cause the latter? Or is the relationship down to something else entirely? First, it is possible that being depressed causes people to be more likely to become vegetarian rather than the other way around. The <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">symptoms of depression</a> can include rumination on negative thoughts, as well as feelings of guilt. Assuming that depressed and non-depressed people are equally likely to encounter the upsetting truth of slaughterhouses and factory farming, it is possible that depressed people are more likely to ruminate on those thoughts, and more likely to feel guilty for their part in creating the demand. The depressed vegetarian, in this case, is not necessarily wrong to think this way. While depression is sometimes characterised as having unrealistically negative perceptions, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hide-and-seek/201206/depressive-realism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">there is evidence to suggest</a> that people with mild to moderate depression have more realistic judgments about the outcome of uncertain events and more realistic perceptions of their own role and abilities. In this case, there really is <a href="https://www.bryantresearch.co.uk/insights/acceptability-of-animal-farming-practices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cruel treatment of animals in meat production</a>. And this really is caused by consumer demand for cheap meat. Second, it is possible that adhering to a vegetarian diet causes depression for reasons other than nutrition. Even if there is no “happy nutrient” lacking in a vegetarian diet, it could be the case that forgoing meat causes depression through other means. For example, adopting a vegetarian diet might affect one’s relationship with others and involvement in social activities, and sometimes may be associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21361905/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">teasing or other forms of social ostracism</a>. Notably, the new study is based on survey data collected in Brazil, a country <a href="https://data.oecd.org/agroutput/meat-consumption.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">famous for its meat-heavy diet</a>. Some survey data has pointed to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/26/world/americas/brazil-vegetarian.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sharp increase in vegetarianism in Brazil in recent years</a>, going from 8% in 2012 to 16% in 2018. However, the recent paper surveyed over 14,000 Brazilians and found just 82 vegetarians – scarcely more than half a per cent. One has to wonder if the same link between vegetarianism and depression would be observed in India or other countries where vegetarianism is more of a social norm. More importantly, as the <a href="https://www.bryantresearch.co.uk/insights/uk-protein-transition-in-4-graphs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rate of vegetarianism increases in the UK</a> and other developed countries, will we see the relationship disappear over time? Finally, it is possible that neither vegetarianism nor depression cause the other, but both are associated with some third factor. This could be any number of characteristics or experiences that are associated with both vegetarianism and depression. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666317305305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women are more likely than men to be vegetarian</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532074/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and to experience depression</a>. However, the Brazilian study took sex into account, ruling out this particular third variable. <h2>Not examined</h2> One variable that was not examined, but is plausibly linked to both vegetarianism and depression, is exposure to violent images of the meat industry. Preventing cruelty to animals is the <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1062072/reasons-for-becoming-vegetarian-or-vegan-in-great-britain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most commonly cited reason</a> vegetarians give for avoiding meat. Documentaries like <a href="https://watchdominion.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dominion</a> and <a href="http://www.nationearth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earthlings</a> that depict the cruelty in the meat industry cannot readily be described as feelgood films. One can easily imagine that a person who consumes this kind of media would become both vegetarian and, especially when most people choose to look the other way, depressed. There are several possible reasons for the link between vegetarianism and depression. This new study suggests that vegetarian nutrition is not the cause of depression. Instead, the vegetarian social experience may contribute to depression, depression may cause an increased likelihood of becoming vegetarian, or both vegetarianism and depression may be caused by a third variable, such as exposure to violent meat industry imagery. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/vegetarians-more-likely-to-be-depressed-than-meat-eaters-possible-reasons-191707" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Body

What meat eaters really think about veganism

Most people in the UK are committed meat eaters – but for how long? My <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/23/6844">new research</a> into the views of meat eaters found that most respondents viewed veganism as ethical in principle and good for the environment. It seems that practical matters of taste, price, and convenience are the main barriers preventing more people from adopting veganism – not disagreement with the fundamental idea. This could have major implications for the future of the food industry as meat alternatives become tastier, cheaper and more widely available. My survey of 1,000 UK adult men and women found that 73% of those surveyed considered veganism to be ethical, while 70% said it was good for the environment. But 61% said adopting a vegan diet was not enjoyable, 77% said it was inconvenient, and 83% said it was not easy. Other possible barriers such as health concerns and social stigma seemed not to be as important, with 60% considering veganism to be socially acceptable, and over half saying it was healthy. The idea that most meat eaters agree with the principles of veganism might seem surprising to some. But other research has led to similar conclusions. <a href="https://www.sentienceinstitute.org/press/animal-farming-attitudes-survey-2017">One study</a> for example, found that almost half of Americans supported a ban on slaughterhouses. The prevalence of taste, price, and convenience as barriers to change also mirrors previous findings. One <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/vegans-aggressive-british-people-turn-off-vegetarianism-meat-dairy-study-a7880251.html">British survey</a> found that the most common reason by far people gave for not being vegetarian is simply: “I like the taste of meat too much.” The second and third most common reasons related to the high cost of meat substitutes and struggling for meal ideas. These findings present climate and animal advocates with an interesting challenge. People are largely aware that there are good reasons to cut down their animal product consumption, but they are mostly not willing to bear the personal cost of doing so. Food motivation Decades of <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0b73/a4602c6d0c01e9a2cab64ea8003926add00f.pdf">food behaviour research</a> has shown us that price, taste and convenience are the three major factors driving food choices. For most people, ethics and environmental impact simply do not enter into it. Experimental research has also shown that the act of eating meat can alter peoples’ views of the morality of eating animals. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666310003648">One study</a> asked participants to rate their moral concern for cows. Before answering, participants were given either nuts or beef jerky to snack on. The researchers found that eating beef jerky actually caused participants to care less about cows. People seem not to be choosing to eat meat because they think there are good reasons to do so – they are choosing to think there are good reasons because they eat meat. In this way, the default widespread (and, let’s be honest, enjoyable) behaviour of meat eating can be a barrier to clear reasoning about our food systems. How can we be expected to discuss this honestly when we have such a strong interest in reaching the conclusion that eating meat is okay? Fortunately, things are changing. The range, quality, and affordability of vegan options has exploded. My survey was conducted in September 2018, a few months before the tremendously successful release of Greggs’ <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/greggs-staff-bonus-vegan-sausage-roll-steak-bake-sales-a9274766.html">vegan sausage roll</a>. Since then, we have seen an avalanche of high-quality affordable vegan options released in the British supermarkets, restaurants and even <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7869531/High-Street-vegan-lunches-contain-FIVE-teaspoons-sugar.html">fast food outlets</a>. These allow meat eaters to easily replace animal products one meal at a time. When Subway offers a version of its meatball marinara that is compatible with your views on ethics and the environment, why would you choose the one made from an animal if the alternative tastes the same? The widespread availability of these options means that the <a href="https://www.finder.com/uk/uk-diet-trends">growing number</a> of vegans, vegetarians and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/nov/01/third-of-britons-have-stopped-or-reduced-meat-eating-vegan-vegetarian-report">flexitarians</a> in the UK have more choice than ever. Not only will this entice more people to try vegan options, but it will make it far easier for aspiring vegetarians and vegans to stick to their diets. With consumer choice comes producer competition, and here we will see the magic of the market. If you think those looking to cut down their meat consumption are spoilt for choice in 2020, just wait to see the effect of these food giants racing to make their vegan offerings better and cheaper as they compete for a rapidly growing customer segment. We may be about to witness an explosion in research to perfect plant-based meat analogues. Meanwhile, the development of real animal meat grown from stem cells without the animals is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/09/can-lab-grown-food-save-the-planet">gaining pace</a>. Cheaper and tastier While these replacements get tastier, more nutritious and cheaper over the next ten years, meat from animals will largely stay the same. It is no wonder the animal farming industry is nervous. Demand for meat and dairy is <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/red-meat-sales-hit-as-800-000-people-go-vegetarian-kpz2k3xnz">falling drastically</a> while the market for alternatives has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/19/plant-based-milk-the-choice-for-almost-25-of-britons-now">skyrocketed</a>. In the US, two major dairy producers have <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-10/distaste-for-dairy-sends-milk-processors-to-bankruptcy-court">filed for bankruptcy</a> in recent months, while a <a href="https://www.rethinkx.com/press-release/2019/9/16/new-report-major-disruption-in-food-and-agriculture-in-next-decade">recent report</a> estimated that the meat and dairy industries will collapse in the next decade. This leaves the average meat eater with a dilemma. Most agree with the reasons for being vegan but object to the price, taste, and convenience of the alternatives. As these alternatives get cheaper, better and more widespread, meat eaters will have to ask themselves just how good the alternatives need to be before they decide to consume in line with their values. Being one of the last people to pay for needless animal slaughter because the alternative was only “pretty good” will not be a good look in the near future.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/129583/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-bryant-939232">Chris Bryant</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-meat-eaters-really-think-about-veganism-new-research-129583">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

“Man-eater:” The man who almost ruined Princess Diana’s reputation

Our beloved Princess Diana had a life that was far from perfect. Afterall, if you were to strip back her beaming smile, elegant clothing and gleaming facade of happiness, the royal was dealing with a crumbling marriage, a world of criticism on her shoulders from the media and the world, and an uncertain future in Britain’s most famous family. However, there were reports that there was one thing – other than her beautiful boys, Prince William and Prince Harry – who brought her comfort and joy, and this was art dealer Oliver Hoare. The dashing, married tycoon was a close pal to both Prince Charles and his wife at the time, Princess Diana, in the early '90s – years before a royal divorce would be announced and fill the tabloids around the world. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829235/di-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/750a7c3b900148f99c99fbfc364e46fc" /> Prince Charles and Princess Diana with Oliver Hoare and his wife Diane behind at Royal Ascot horserace meeting, June 1986. Formal protection officer Ken Wharfe wrote in his book, Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, that the princess was “instantly” attracted to Oliver. “Diana later confessed to me that she had felt a little shy when, at Windsor [in 1992], she shook his hand for the first time, and had blushed as she flirted with him,” Wharfe wrote. “That conversation ended abruptly when Charles and the Queen Mother joined them.” Despite the 16-year age difference, Princess Di was said to have become “obsessed” with the married father-of-three. “She needed him at every conceivable moment,” Wharfe wrote. “She confided to me that he was the first man who had ever aroused her physically. That admission did much to explain the humiliating events that followed.” The pair were linked between 1990-1994 and the relationship, according to Chris Dicker in the 2018 book, Princess Diana Biography: The Astonishing Life of the Princess of Wales, was “damaging to Diana’s reputation.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829236/di.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/44ed7c2d26c8480695dd34819196ceac" /> "Diana's reputation as a man-eater was derived from her affair with Oliver Hoare. He was a married man and this was damaging to Diana's reputation. "She was convinced he was going to marry her. The press was very aggressive about getting pictures of them. "Hoare started sneaking into Kensington Palace with his head under a blanket. It was degrading to her. "Their affair was all over the tabloids. James Hewitt and Oliver Hoare were such rollercoaster romances for her." Princess Di said in the groundbreaking 1995 Panorama interview, she did indeed call Hoare over a period of six to nine months, however “certainly not in an obsessive manner.” Reports also said the royal was convinced they were going to be married and “daydreamed of living in Italy with the handsome Hoare.” Their relationship came to an end when Hoare’s wife complained about hundreds of nuisance phone calls. An investigation revealed the calls could be traced to the royal’s home in Kensington Palace, her mobile phone, Notting Hill and the home of Diana's older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale. Wharfe explained he was forced to tell Scotland Yard who was making the numerous phone calls. "I was asked to speak to a senior officer of mine who said to me, 'Somebody is using the princess’s telephone to make phone calls to Oliver Hoare’s household and even spoken to his wife.' "At that point I said to him, 'The Princess of Wales is having a relationship with this man and that she is making telephone calls'." While this relationship is widely believed and a number of close companions of the late Princess Di confirm a number of details, the world will never be able to know with absolute certainty. To the day he died, in August 23, 2018, Oliver Hoare refused to speak about the alleged affair he had with the most famous woman in the world.

Books

Are regular chocolate eaters really thinner?

People who eat chocolate on a regular basis tend to be thinner, even when they do not exercise more often, a new study claims. But health experts have warned that the findings of the study, published today in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, do not establish a direct link between the consumption of chocolate, which is high in calories and saturated fats, and a low body mass index (BMI). Merlin Thomas, Adjunct Professor of Preventive Medicine at Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, said: “In excess, chocolate will induce weight gain. It will induce obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and an early demise. But then again, so will any overindulgence.” A research team from the University of California, San Diego, found that among about 1,000 men and woman aged 20 to 85 who did not have heart disease or diabetes, those who consumed chocolate more frequently had a lower BMI than those who consumed it less often. On average, participants ate chocolate twice a week and exercised 3.6 times a week. Health experts say a normal BMI is typically in the range of 18.5 to 24.9. “People who ate chocolate more frequently consumed more calories, and they did not exercise more, but despite this they weighed less,” said Beatrice Golomb, with the university’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. “It’s not amount of chocolate, but frequency of chocolate consumption [that counts].” “Chocolate has been linked to lower heart disease and more favourable liver profiles and better blood pressure,” Dr Golomb said. “The chief factor that has typically led people to hold back from recommending chocolate has been this concern that the expectation was that it would be associated with being heavier and gaining weight more, and this study at least does not provide support for that but rather the contrary.” Consumption of certain types of chocolate has been found to have other metabolic benefits on blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and cholesterol level. “Our study doesn’t really constrain exactly the amount of chocolate [people should eat], but it does suggest that more frequent chocolate consumption is associated with better BMI.” But Professor Thomas said that the study showed “why association is not the same as causality. "Paradoxes are not uncommon in medicine and usually reflect the influence of other unmeasured factors. The population studied also matters. In this instance, the impact of chocolate consumption on middle-aged overweight men may not reflect the harm confectionery does to women or adolescents.” Professor Thomas said that the plant-derived flavanols found in cocoa products, such as dark chocolate, did have real effects on metabolism. However studies highlighting their health benefits invariably used very large doses “that could never be garnered by eating the amounts of chocolate described in this study. Most processed confectionery contains little of the original antioxidant potential of the original cocoa.”<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/6089/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Justin Norrie. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-regular-chocolate-eaters-really-thinner-6089">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

Take the quiz: What type of eater are you?

When it comes to losing weight, one in four Australians will fail. Many of us want to know why and what we can do about it. But the issue rarely lies with the diet — it lies with the dieter. Psychologist Dr Meg Arroll and respected journalist Louise Atkinson’s mutual interest in the psychology of dieting has led to them developing an effective strategy which allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of their eating habits, helping them to pick the right diet, stick to it more effectively, lose weight and actually keep it off – forever. So what type of eater are you? Are you a… <ul> <li>Rebel who’s either fully immersed in a diet or thoroughly ‘off message’</li> <li>Scrambler forever nibbling, grazing, snacking on the hoof</li> <li>Traditional adhering to deeply established dietary conventions</li> <li>Gourmet who lives to entertain and indulge</li> <li>Soother who finds comfort and solace in food</li> <li>Magpie flitting from one sparkly new diet plan to another?</li> </ul> TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Which of these most closely describes your friendship style? A My friends are extremely important to me, but I struggle to keep up B I enjoy the company of people who share my interests C I have a small number of very core ‘best’ friends D My partner/family are my best friends E I’m not too interested in making new friends, I stick close to my old buddies F I enjoy meeting new people and building new friendships What is your most-cherished dream? A To live a fabulous life free from mundanity B To achieve tip-top health C To be truly, deeply happy D To be mortgage- and debt-free and financially secure E To be the best of the best in everything I do F To get to the end of each day without some mini disaster If you invite friends over for dinner you are most likely to serve up: A Fine food made from exquisite ingredients, laboriously prepared and beautifully presented B A healthy and nutritious meal featuring the latest superfood ingredients C A simple but delicious curry with rice, naan and all the trimmings D Shepherd’s pie with peas/carrots or lasagne (with garlic bread) E Steaks (preferably medium rare) F Pre-prepared chicken/salmon breasts with bagged salad When someone says CAKE do you think: A ‘Which recipe is this? What are the ingredients?’ B ‘Does it contain gluten? Sugar? Refined flour? Is it organic?’ C ‘Mmmm, delicious!’ D ‘If only I had a cup of tea to go with it’ E ‘No thanks, I’m trying to be good . . . oh go on then’ F ‘Can you wrap me a slice to go?’ How would you best describe your grocery shopping style? A I like to browse independent delis and shop locally when possible B I’m a fan of health food shops and the ‘free from’ aisles C I find it hard to stick to my list and I’m easily tempted by offers D I stick closely to my usual shopping list or my online ‘favourites’ E I’ll grab something at the express supermarket close to work F I have an online food delivery every week and I’m always on the look-out for BOGOF deals Which celebrity impresses you most? A Barack Obama B Gwyneth Paltrow C Oprah Winfrey D David Attenborough E Bear Grylls F Davina McCall What kind of books do you prefer? A World events/politics B Literary prize winners C Romance D Celebrity autobiographies E Personal development/specialist magazines F Audio books What movie genre is your favourite? A A foreign film with subtitles B True stories/docu-dramas C Romantic comedies D Classic action movies like James Bond E Horror F Sci-fi What’s your preferred breakfast option? A Homemade muffin warm from the oven or organic Greek yoghurt B Green juice or smoothie C Porridge D Cornflakes or toast and jam/marmalade E Protein shake F Black coffee Your perfect holiday would be: A The latest word in high-end luxury B A fastidiously researched city break with a packed itinerary C A super-chilled villa/beach/pool holiday D The same place you love to go back to each year E High-octane adventure/trekking F Fun family holidays that involve inevitable compromise What’s your perfect kind of car? A Lexus (high-end luxury) B Tesla (economical/environmentally sound) C Volvo (super-safe) D Land Rover 4x4 (practical/useful in all conditions) E Porsche (sexy sports car) F Ford S-Max (practical/useful) What’s your confrontational style? A What confrontation? I’m usually right B I try to read the signs before working out the best option C I’ll usually do anything necessary to find a swift resolution even if this means compromise D I try to avoid conflict and keep things to myself if I can E I’ve been known to flounce off in a huff F I’m good at conflict resolution and sorting things out What’s your preferred snack option? A Smoked almonds or olives B Granola bar C Chocolate D Biscuits E Energy ball F Diet cola What would you typically choose for lunch on the hop? A Homemade soup with sourdough bread and cold French butter B A packaged salad C A baked potato with cheese and baked beans D Ham or cheese sandwich on sliced bread (pre-packed) E Canteen meal or pub lunch F Chocolate or a couple of biscuits Chocolate of choice? A Minimum 85% cocoa solids B Cacao nibs C Quality Street/Celebrations D Cadbury’s Dairy Milk E Chilli-infused chocolate F Freddo, Finger of Fudge, fun-sized Milky Way How do you best like to chill in your spare time? A With friends, food and wine B Reading or researching C Box set/Netflix D DIY/gardening E Working towards my latest goal/challenge F What spare time? What’s your preferred work style? A Entrepreneurial: I like to forge ahead and find new opportunities B Flexible: I’m happy to balance work from home with the office C Collaborative: I strive to ensure the team is happy and effective D Conventional: I like a clear plan and set deadlines E Managerial: I’m happiest when others let me take charge F Eclectic/diverse: Some of my best work is done at night What is your favourite tipple? A Pastis/schnapps/brandy B Obscure label gin C Prosecco D Whisky/Rioja E Beer F White wine (in a large glass) What is your favourite drink on the go? A Fresh ground coffee B Smoothie C Latte with a flavoured syrup D Tea E Energy drink F Instant coffee What do you look for in food labels? A I prefer to buy fresh artisan food which doesn’t have labels B I scrutinise the labels looking for sugar derivatives, preservatives and gluten C I rarely look at food labels D I’m brand loyal for familiar names from my childhood (Heinz, Kraft, etc.) and I don’t tend to look at nutritional information. E I’ll check protein content F I’m more interested in price, offers and deals RESULTS Mostly As: You could be a GOURMET You love food – but not just any food. It has to be the finest you can find. The process of sourcing and preparing food is as important to you as the ingredients, and hosting well-catered parties is an outlet for your exuberant personality. You have a flair for storytelling and you are socially adept. Your curiosity and fascination also spans current affairs, politics, and you have a deep interest in those around you. Any negative issues with food and eating behaviour only appear because you find it incomprehensible not to consume the best food and drink – surely that’s what life is all about? Mostly Bs: You could be a MAGPIE Magpies love to experiment with sparkly new health approaches. You are a trendsetter in many things, moving on from the ‘next big thing’ before most of your friends have even heard of it. Your keen investigative skills spill over to all areas of life – you are the go-to person to organise holidays and you are flawless in planning and execution. You also keep an eye on all health news and file it away in your vast memory. The Magpie can quickly lose interest in one diet plan and switch to the next, causing confusion (and overeating), as well as diet fatigue. Mostly Cs: You could be a SOOTHER Soothers are highly intuitive, and you care deeply for those around you. You soak up other’s pain and heartache and, as a truly compassionate soul, you strive to make everyone happy. Food is truly comforting due to its neurochemical and rewarding effects that you don’t receive elsewhere, so you seek to self-soothe with food. This makes it very hard to resist carb-laden foods and stick to diets when feelings start to peek out from under the surface. Mostly Ds: You could be a TRADITIONAL As a Traditional, you hold your core values very dear. You have great respect for law and authority and you strive to ‘do the right thing’. You know what you like and what you don’t and you’re not comfortable taking risks. You do like the idea of adventure and spontaneity, but it takes quite a bit of persuading. Friendships and relationships might take longer to build, but once established they are secure. The Traditional sticks close to long-established patterns of eating and will be frustrated by changes in nutritional dogma and the fact that the old dietary rules and portion sizes no longer serve to keep you slim. Mostly Es: You could be a REBEL The Rebel is a very black and white thinker – success and goal-meeting are extremely important. You take everything to the max and you’re more than happy to lead by example. You’re no shirker, and you will exercise to the point of exhaustion, but you’ll think nothing of meeting friends in a bar afterwards and drinking double the calories you just burned in the gym. You’ll show exemplary willpower and stick to the toughest, most rigid diet plan – with impressive results – then blow everything on an all-you-can-eat buffet. Mostly Fs: You could be a SCRAMBLER The Scrambler is busy. Really busy. Whether you’re juggling young children, ageing parents, a demanding job, committee work, voluntary positions, you love the challenge of keeping all those plates spinning. For you, life would feel dull if every minute wasn’t a multi-tasking challenge. But amid all this organised chaos, it is all too easy to forget to take care of yourself – it can be tough to work out which plate you are going to have to drop to make room. With so little time for proper meals you graze and nibble your way through the day or find yourself starving and out of control in the evenings. This is an edited extract from The Shrinkology Solution by Dr Meg Arroll and Louise Atkinson published by Quadrille RRP $19.99 and is available where all good books are sold. Find more: <a href="https://www.shrinkology.co.uk/">https://www.shrinkology.co.uk/</a>

Body

What to do when your pet is a fussy eater

Bondi Vet’s much loved veterinarian, Dr Chris Brown reveals why the reason your pet is passing on their dinner may have nothing to do with their food. Some of dogs and cats can put the harshest human food critics to shame. Instead of a one-star review, they simply storm out. But a closer look at how you serve dinner might explain it all. Food bowls can sneakily accumulate smells and even become rancid without you even knowing it. With dogs and cats having a sense of smell up to 100,000 times better than ours, there’s every chance the odours are actually taking away their appetite. The worst offenders? Plastic bowls that not only absorb smells but also develop tiny cracks that can be a breeding ground for bacteria. How to avoid problems <ul> <li>Scrub bowls clean daily.</li> <li>Use ceramic or stainless steel bowls. These won’t retain nasty odours.</li> </ul> So how have you fixed a fussy eater? We'd love to hear your experiences. Share them with us in the comment section below. For more tips on your pets, follow Dr Chris Brown on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dcbpets/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook here.</a> Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/06/do-our-pets-dream/">Do our pets dream?</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/dr-chris-brown-secrets-to-dealing-with-allergies-to-pets/">The secret to dealing with pet allergies</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/reasons-your-dogs-health-is-as-important-as-your-own/">6 reasons your dog’s health is just as important as your own</a>

Family & Pets

The brain trick to become a healthier eater

Our experience of being human starts with food. It's central to the journey that our species took to get here. As we evolved, we began to use tools that were associated with food; either the killing of it, or the cutting up of it in order to eat it. Then we discovered fire, and started cooking on it, beginning a process that saw our brains treble in size. Eating like this also brought us together as a group around a fire, and our lower jaw shrank, as we no longer had to tear through raw cartilage. To eat cooked food, then, is to be human – it determines who we are. Altering our relationship with food requires us to re-engineer our most fundamental behavior patterns. It is characterised by what out mother ate while she was pregnant, what we ate whilst growing up, what country we live in, memory association and so much more. So what can we do if our comfort food is burgers and fries? For those already hard-wired to expect too much sugar or salt, a more intelligent approach is needed to change those habits. We need to fool the brain into thinking it is getting more of a particular taste than it really is. Imagine making a cup of coffee with one coffee bean; it would taste pretty insipid. But consider drinking a cup of hot water and then eating a whole coffee bean; it would have far more impact. You can do the same with food, packaging the release of certain flavours to maximise impact. There are, in fact, many sensory inputs that affect how we taste something. If you want to accentuate the sweetness of a food item, imagine that you pick up the packet and it's all soft and smooth, and then there's a satisfying squidgy noise when you open the lid. It will make a difference. As strange as it might sound, the whetting of any of our senses can dramatically increase the impact of a small amount of flavour. The weight of the glass you drink something in can change how it tastes, the smell of what you're eating, the shape of the bowl and feel of the cutlery you use. All of these will have an impact. So instead of regulating and taxing and dictating, the way to change our eating habits is to fool our brain into thinking it is getting more of what we want than is actually the case. This isn't a rational approach, it's an emotional one, precisely because eating is an instinctive and not a rational activity. Setting aside the rational is a real challenge for policy makers, but if they want us to become less obese as a nation, they must realise that laws are often the worst way to change human behaviour. Written by Heston Blumenthal. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/motivate-me/75575284/heston-blumenthal-our-brains-can-be-fooled-into-healthier-eating%20%20%20" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2015/12/study-reveals-the-one-time-vegetarian-eat-meat/">Study reveals the one-time vegetarians eat meat</a> <a href="/health/body/2015/12/7-common-lies-about-fat/">7 common lies about fat</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/01/study-finds-mirrors-make-junk-food-less-appealing/">Study finds mirrors make junk food less appealing</a>

Body

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Vegetarians more likely to be depressed than meat-eaters

What meat eaters really think about veganism

“Man-eater:” The man who almost ruined Princess Diana’s reputation

Are regular chocolate eaters really thinner?

Take the quiz: What type of eater are you?

What to do when your pet is a fussy eater

The brain trick to become a healthier eater

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Catalogues

Newspaper

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Entertainment

Travel

Health

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Finance

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Information

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AI may have solved a debate on whether a dinoprint was from a herbivore or meat eater

Vegetarians more likely to be depressed than meat-eaters

What meat eaters really think about veganism

“Man-eater:” The man who almost ruined Princess Diana’s reputation

Are regular chocolate eaters really thinner?

Take the quiz: What type of eater are you?

What to do when your pet is a fussy eater

The brain trick to become a healthier eater

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