GLOSSARY: CHAPTER 1

FOOD, HUNGER and SATIETY

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EXPLORING FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PETER S. MURANO

Adiponectin fat cell derived hormone that is implicated in several metabolic pathways
that may be relevant for the development of cardiovascular disease
Appetite pleasant feeling or anticipation of eating a specific food or meal
Biomarker characteristics that are objectively measure and evaluated as indicators of
normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a
therapeutic intervention
Bread for the World nonpartisan Christian citizens movement in the U.S. whose
mission is to end hunger
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) federal nutrition assistance program
for low-income families to improve the diet quality of both children and the elderly
Commodity Supplemental Food Program federal nutrition assistance program to
improve the health of low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, new mothers up to
one year postpartum, infants, children up to age six, and elderly people at least 60 years
of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods
Emergency Food Assistance Program federal nutrition assistance program that
supplements diets of low income persons, including the elderly, by providing them with
emergency food and nutrition assistance
Feeding America vast network of food banks nationwide that provides food and
groceries to thousands of food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters
Food insecurity limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and
safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially
acceptable ways
Food security implies that all members of a household have adequate nutritious and safe
food to ensure an active, healthy life
Food Stamp Act legislation put in place by the U.S. Congress in 1977 to assist those that
are most in need by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households
FRAC Food Research and Action Center; a national nonprofit organization working to
improve public policies and public-private partnerships, to fight hunger and
undernutrition in the U.S.
Ghrelin hormone that stimulates appetite
Global Food Security Act legislation to provide additional agricultural and rural
development assistance to developing countries
 Glucagon hormone released by the pancreas and stimulates the breakdown of glycogen
and the release of glucose from glycogen
Glycemic index the ability of different types of foods that contain carbohydrates to
increase the blood glucose levels within two hours
Green Revolution the increase in agricultural productivity resulting from the
introduction of high-yield varieties of grains, including novel wheat cultivars, coupled to
the use of pesticides and improved land management
Healthy Eating Index USDA tool that provides information on the type and quantity of
foods an individual consumes, compliance with specific dietary recommendations, and
the variety of the diet
Hormone specific molecule that is produced by an endocrine gland in the body and is
transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect
Hunger a shortage of basic nutrients and calories sufficient to lead a normal life
Hunger-Free Communities Act anti-hunger legislation developed by a bipartisan group
of four senators in 2005
Ileal break theory that digestion of lipids in the ileum portion of the small intestine,
rather than the duodenum, leads to a variety of changes that increase satiety and inhibit
appetite
Insulin hormone secreted by the pancreas that is circulated throughout the body to help
cells obtain blood sugar so that they can effectively use it for energy; regulates storage of
glycogen in the liver and accelerates oxidation of glucose in other body cells, such as
muscle and brain cells, by helping the glucose get inside those cells
Leptin appetite suppresser that signals the brain that the body has enough energy stores
such as body fat
Malnutrition imbalance or deficiency of nutrients required by the body; includes people
who overeat, as well as those with may suffer from nutrient deficiency diseases
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) federal nutrition assistance program
operating in public and nonprofit schools and residential child care institutions that
provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or free lunches to children each school day; see
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
Neurotransmitter molecule of defined chemical structure that transmits nerve impulses
from one nerve cell to another, between a nerve cell and a muscle, or between a nerve
cell and an organ
Oxfam organization of nations, originated in the Netherlands in 1953, after a flood
disaster, to provide hunger relief
Polydextrose polysaccharide derived from glucose, sorbitol, and citric acid that may
promote satiety
Poverty guidelines simplification of the poverty thresholds used for administrative
purposes, issued by the HHS
Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act legislation that created the National
School Lunch Program and was signed by Harry Truman in 1946
Satiation the processes involved in the termination of a meal
Satiety index measure that compares foods in their ability to create the sensation of
fullness
 Satiety the physiological state in which the body has satisfied its immediate energy needs
by the quantity of food eaten
School Breakfast Program (SBP) federal nutrition assistance program that provides
cash assistance to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and
residential child care institutions
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) federal nutrition assistance program available
to local organizations that want to combine a feeding program with a summer activity
program for children; helps provide nutritious meals to children when NSLP and SBP
are often not operated at schools
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program federal nutrition assistance program
providing low-income individuals and families with the means to purchase food, formerly
the Food Stamp Program
Sustainable agriculture concept launched by the Green Revolution that devotes acres of
land to the production of high-yield food crops with three main goals- environmental
health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity
Thermogenesis mechanism in which cells generate heat and expend calories
Visual analog scales (VAS) response scales that are used in conjunction with consumer
questionnaires to measure hunger and satiety
WIC nutrition assistance program that provides federal grants to states for supplemental
foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant,
breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up
to age 5 who are found to be a nutritional risk