By the time children are ten years old, generally speaking, they've learned to eat like the people around them. Once food prejudices are set, it is no simple task to dissolve them. In a separate study, Rozin presented sixty-eight American college students with a grasshopper snack, this time a commercially prepared honey-covered variety sold in Japan. Only 12 percent were willing to try one. So
By the age of ten, children typically adopt the eating habits and preferences of those around them. This suggests that food biases developed early in life can be quite persistent and challenging to overcome later on. The way individuals respond to specific foods is often deeply influenced by their social environment and experiences. Hence, breaking these ingrained food prejudices can be a complex endeavor.
In related research highlighted by Mary Roach in "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal," only a small fraction of American college students were open to trying a grasshopper snack, despite it being a commercially prepared option from Japan. This illustrates the strong psychological barriers people face when confronted with foods that differ from their usual diets. Such findings underline the difficulties in shifting food attitudes shaped during childhood.
