This document summarizes a presentation given by Prof. Jean-Pierre Poulain on collecting and analyzing food consumption data. It discusses the challenges of obtaining accurate data through questionnaires and interviews given differences between reported norms and actual practices. Poulain analyzed food diaries from French students and found their reported lunches did not match reconstructed accounts, with reported meals being more standardized. His work shows the importance of using multiple methods like observations and interviews to understand relationships between social factors, food norms, and consumption behaviors.

1. Prof. Jean-Pierre Poulain
sociologue et anthropologue
Chair of Food Studies:
Foods, Cultures and Health
Taylor’s-Toulouse University Center
“What’ did you have
for dinner?“
Empirical Questions
and Procedures
EATING: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES
A Colloquium at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
Helsinki, May 23-25 2012

2. • "Despite all the progress made in human
nutrition, it is important to recognize that the
measurement of what is truly eaten by
individuals remains the most difficult to
realize in this discipline."
Jean-François Desjeux, 1996

3. One central question of sociology
• How to be sure that
what is being said to
you, is not a discourse
build for a sociologist?

4. The “destructuration” of french meal
and the Plasticity of Empirical data
• 1979, Claude Fischler « Gastro-anomie »
• Nicolas Herpin & Martine Chaudron, 1988
• 1993, Claude Grignon « L’alimentation des étudiants »
• 1997, Credoc « Le repas à la française résiste » and the results
could be interpret in the other sense. Credoc Newsletter Le Monde
• Jean Pierre Poulain, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2010
Simplification continuously since 1995

5. Claude Fischler
• « Le repas composé et commensal est pratiquement en voie de disparition aux Etats-Unis. Dans les familles de
couche moyenne citadines, il arrive que l’on ne se trouve réunis autour de la table du dîner familial que deux ou
trois fois par semaine et le repas ne dure guère alors plus de vingt minutes. Les mêmes travaux montrent que la
moyenne du nombre de prises alimentaires (food contact) dans la journée est d’une vingtaine et que, dés lors, le
rythme supposé des trois repas quotidiens n’est plus qu’une survivance. Des phénomènes, peut être du même
ordre quoique d’une échelle moindre, sont d’ores et déjà observables en Europe...» (1979).
• "The organize and commensal meal is virtually disappearing in the
United States. In the urban middle class families, sometimes we
do is gathered around the family dinner table for two or three
times a week and the meal did not last longer than twenty
minutes. The same studies show that the average number of
eating (food contact) during the day is about twenty and that,
henceforth, the assumed rate of three meals a day is more than
survival. Phenomena, may be similar, although a smaller scale, are
already being seen in Europe ... "(1979).

6. French student’s Food Habits
(Grignon 1993, 312)
• N = 4530 sample, N = return 1788
• Auto reporting data during a week meals
and extra-prandial food intakes
• Results :
– There is no evidence of multiplication of intermediate
pauses ("pot", "coffee break", appetizer, etc..) even in the
days when a meal is missing“ « On ne constate pas de multiplication des pauses
intermédiaires (« pot », « pause-café », apéritif, etc.) même dans les journées où il manque un repas »).
– “To eat normally, it is also not eating, or eat as little as
possible between the meals” « Manger normalement c’est aussi ne pas manger, ou manger le
moins possible « en dehors des repas ».

7. Beyond commun sens
• « En effet les étudiants, qui sont à la fois des jeunes en rupture (non établis, non
« posés », réputés portés à la transgression et à la contestation, etc.) et des
précurseurs sérieux (dans la mesure où ils ont de bonnes chances d’appartenir par
la suite aux classes dominantes), représentent le cas le plus favorable pour
observer les usages relatifs aux rythmes des pauses alimentaires, et l’émergence
éventuelle d’un nouveau modèle ».
• “Students, who are both young out (not established,
not" posed "deemed likely to transgression and contestation,
etc..) and precursors serious (to the extent that they have
good likely to belong to the later ruling classes), represent
the most favorable case to observe the customs
relating to the rhythms of food breaks, and the
possible emergence of a new model“.

9. “What did you eat
yesterday at lunch?”
• What happen, when the person
interviewed have not done what he use to do ?
• 2 solutions:
– The first one is to answer what he used to do….
– The second one what he really did.
• The consequence is a normalization in the statistical
sense of results

10. Between qualitative and
quantitative taking in account
implicit meaning
• The questionnaire first ask:
What is for your a proper breakfast, (lunch,
diner)?, (Proper meal of Mary Douglas)
• Then, helps one to reconstruct the previous day,
making it clear that what interests us is what really
happened the day before
• Each intake is described in terms of composition of
place, social context, temporality ...

11. What are the dimensions
of the problem?
• At the questionnaire level
– What is the status of the
collected variables?
– How to help the
interviewed to rebuild the
food events
– The relation between
norms and practices
– Food days
– Budget time
• At the data collection level
– The dilemma between coast
and quality
– From observation to self
reporting
– The illusion of declaration
versus practices

12. • Reconstruction
following the day life
• Using the silence as
a tools

13. Data Collection
Practices Representations
Observed
Data
Declared Data
Direct-
observed
Practices
Indirect-
observed
Practices
Reconstructed
Practices
Declared
Practices
Opinion
Attitudes
Values
Symbols
Practices Representations
Norms
Conscience

14. Food days, 2006
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0
-
1
H
2
-
3
H
4
-
5
H
6
-
7
H
8
-
9
H
10
-
11
H
12
-
13
H
14
-
15
H
16
-
17
H
18
-
19
H
20
-
21
H
22
-
23
H
% Petit déjeuner % Déjeuner % Diner % Hors Repas

15. The breakdown of set mealtimes
% eating or drinking, in or out of home, by time of day, all days, 7.00am to Midnight
Nb: Datapoints relate to 30 mins following time given, e.g. 7.00 am = 7.00 am to 7.30 am
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
6.00
am
7.00
am
8.00
am
9.00
am
10.00
am
11.00
am
Noon
1.00
pm
2.00
pm
3.00
pm
4.00
pm
5.00
pm
6.00
pm
7.00
pm
8.00
pm
9.00
pm
10.00
pm
11.00
pm
Midnight
1961 2001
%
Source: BBC/ONS/nVision
Base: 545/654 adults in households with children, UK

16. How to collecte data?
• Observation
• Face to face
• Cati system
• Self-reporting by internet
• Self-reporting paper

17. Jean-Pierre Poulain

19. 19
Comparison between norms, reconstruct
practices and observed practices (Poulain et al. 1995)
What was
your lunch
yesterday ?
Reconstruct practices Practices

20. Breakfast: normes
 Le modèle dominant
PDJ continental 52%
 Montée du PDJ
anglo-saxon » 27%
 Apparition d’une
formule de petit
déjeuner simplifiée
(laitage) :13%
13%
8%
52%
27%
PDJ anglo-saxon
PDJ continental
PDJ simplifié
Autres formules

21. Petit déjeuner : les pratiques
 Le PDJ continental est +
fort dans les pratiques que
dans les normes 57%
contre 52%
 Le modèle simplifié + fort
dans les pratiques que
dans les normes 25%
contre 13%
 Le PDJ anglo-saxon est +
faible dans les pratiques
que dans les normes 7%
contre 27%
7%
11%
25%
57%
PDJ continental
PDJ simplifié
Autres formules
PDJ anglo-saxon

22. Breakfast :
gape between norms and practices
10%
8%
13%
4%
Simplifié
Anglosaxon
Anglosaxon
Simplifié
40%
6%
Pratiques
Continental
1%
2%
Normes
1
2
3
5
6
7
8
4
Source : Poulain et al.,2001

24. 24
Lunch : the norms
 Attachment to
the full lunch
norm 61%
Source : Poulain et al., 2001.
8%
18%
3%
7%
2%
25%
36%
Repas complets 61%
Repas simplifiées 38%
Entrée+PG+F+Dessert Entrée+PG+Dessert
PG+Dessert
Entrée+PG
Plat unique
(Grosse) entrée+Dessert
Autres

25. 25
Lunch : the practices
 Strong lunch
simplifications (63%)
 Full lunch is weaker in
the practices (37%)
 Emerging pattern
« Main dish (PG)+
dessert » (33%)
Source : Poulain et al.,2001.
5%
16%
33%
5%
21%
5%
2%
12%
Entrée+PG+Fromage+Dessert
Entrée+PG+Dessert
PG+Dessert
Plat Unique
Autre
Sandwich
Entrée+PG
Repas complets 37%
Repas simplifiés 63%
Entrée+Dessert

27. 27
Food intakes time table
Source : Poulain et al.,2001.
1
à
2
H
2
à
3
H
3
à
4
H
4
à
5
H
5
à
6
H
6
à
7
H
7
à
8
H
8
à
9
H
9
à
10
H
10
à
11
H
11
à
12
H
12
à
13
H
13
à
14
H
14
à
15
H
15
à
16
H
16
à
17
H
17
à
18
H
18
à
19
H
19
à
2
0
H
2
0
à
2
1
H
2
1
à
2
2
H
2
2
à
2
3
H
2
3
à
2
4
H
0
à
1
H
Hors repas
0,0
10,0
20,0
30,0
40,0
50,0
60,0
70,0
Rrepas

28. 28
BMI ET DECALAGE NORME / PRATIQUE
POUR LE DEJEUNER

30. Evolution of structure of meals,
1996, 2002, 2008
30
1996 2002 2008

31. Comparison between face to face
and cathy
Jean-Pierre Poulain
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
%
Norme
INPES
Prat
Linear (Norme )
Linear (INPES)
Linear (Prat )

32. Direction de la santé en Polynésie française
Université de Toulouse II

33. Direction de la santé en Polynésie française
Université de Toulouse II

34. Direction de la santé en Polynésie française
Université de Toulouse II
Social Position (level of education and
income) and linked variables
17.6%
22.3%
9.4%
50.6%
Niveau scolaire+
Niveau scolaire -
Niveau
de
revenu
+
IMC moyen = 31.6
IMC moyen = 29.10
IMC moyen = 29.92
IMC moyen = 24.69
Poids normal
Maigreur
Surpoids
Obésité
Moins de 35 ans
61 ans et +
51/60 ans
16/25 ans
100% Maohi
-1/2 maohi
Aucun ascendant maohi
+1/2 maohi
100% Maohi
Se définisse Maohi
Popaa
Demi
Ruraux
Urbains

35. Direction de la santé en Polynésie française
Université de Toulouse II
BMI and social position (level of education and
income)
Capital scolaire et économique et IMC
1,9 2,6 0,5
8,2
17,6
27,9 26,9
51,8
23,9
30,9 33,3
25,9
56,6
38,6 39,3
14,1
0,0
10,0
20,0
30,0
40,0
50,0
60,0
Scolaire et eco faible Scolaire et eco
moyen
Scolaire faible et eco
fort
Scolaire fort
Maigreur Poids normal Surpoids Obésité

36. Direction de la santé en Polynésie française
Université de Toulouse II
The populations
IMC moyen et sentiment identitaire
29,8
27,42
24,45 23,3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Maohi Demi Popaa Tinito

37. Number of meals
and corpulence (BMI)
Jean Pierre Poulain, université de Toulouse 37
4 1 3 1
24 28 26
31
35
24 26
34
38
48 45
33
0
20
40
60
2psem/2p dim 2psem/3p dim 3psem/2p dim 3psem/3p dim
%H
Maigreur
Poids normal
Surpoids
Obésité

38. Conclusion
• The study of the food models must be committed on the scientific
mode, with the manner of the ethno-sciences studying the
pharmacopeia or the medical practices of traditional ethnicities. It
is the point of view of the ecological anthropology which seeks to
put at the day the interest certain empirical choices. The relations
between nutritional sciences and socio-anthropology of the food
can consider under new point of view.
Knowledge of nutritional sciences must be put at the service of
the improvement of a food model to seek the conditions of
reduction health risks, in the respect of there gustatory, symbolic
and cultural dimensions .
• Jean-Pierre Poulain, « Combien de repas par jour ? Normes culturelles et normes médicales en Polynésie
Française », Journal des Anthropologues, 2006, n°106-107, p. 245-268.
Jean Pierre Poulain, université de Toulouse 38

39. Scientific questions
• To challenge the question of convergence :
– At the level of social and ethnic groups
– At the level of international
• The intertie of cultures and social change

40. Back on Malthus’ trace
• Food requirement depends on :
– The number of individuals to feed
– What they consume
• Food production depends on:
– Exploitable agricultural areas
– Water supply
– Sunlight
– Agrarian techniques
– Inputs (fertilizers.)
– Agricultural machinery
– Energy supply
40

41. 41

42. 42
socio-anthropological
framework
Economic and ecological
frame work Cultural
Social
Environment

43. Perspective
Economico-ecological
Perspective
socio-anthropological
Key concepts Priority to environment
Ecological print, (km/food),
CO2
Priority to humanbeings
Fair-trade, AMAP, Slow food,
community supported agriculture
Orientation and
evaluation criteria
Universality of global ecological
stakes
Inter-generational equity
What kind of planet will we
leave to our children?
Specificity of social and culmtural
situations
Inter-generational equity
Solidarity with the victims of health
scandals.
System evaluation
modality
Mathematical modelization Case study, experience feedback
Market relation The market is set, it is required
to understand how it works
The market is a social and political
construction. It is necessary to act
toward what is favorable.
Consummers places Consumers make choices Consumers are actors of the systems
Science princeps Econometry, ecology,
agronomy
Anthropology, sociology, sciences of
development
D’après P.M. Stassart ULG,

44. 44
Argentina Colombia
japan
Rwanda
Portugal
Source : Malassis et Padillat

45. 45

46. The two way to re-socialize the
• Through the figure of
citizen
• Consumers
– Safety
– To be informed
– To choose
– To be heard
• Customer
– Choose
• Through the question of
Food model
• Implicit dimensions of
decisions
• Routines

47. Food choice and preferences
versus food models?
• Less
– A question of taste
– A question of information
– A question of preferences
– Question of social
determinants
• More
– A question of implicit
meaning
– A question of routine
– A question of script
– A question of social
interactions and
coordinations

48. Food Social Space: The social dimensions of food
(Condominas, 1980; Poulain, 1997 et 2002)
Cultures
Room of Freedom
Social
Dimensions
of Food
Physiological and
biological constraints
Ecological
constraints
Impact of the
culture on the
genetic structure of
population
Impact of the
culture on the
biotope
• Edible/ Inedible
• Food System
• Culinary
• Consumption Patterns
• Food Temporality
• Social Differentiation

49. Jean Pierre Poulain, université de Toulouse 49
What is a food model?
 A specific configuration of the social space
 A body of technological knowledge accumulated from
generations to genrations, allowing the selection of resources in
a natural environement, to prepare them to be food, then
dishes and to consume them.
 It is also, some symbolic codes’ systems showing the values of a
human group participating to the construction of cultural
identities and to the internal processes of differenciation.

50. Food models
 They are complex social constructions that functions unconsciously
and allow:
 To deal with food cognitive ambivalences
 To articulate the various horizons of food act: pleasure, health and symbolic
order
 The construction of social identities through internal and external processes
of identifications and differentiation / through processes of identifications
and internal and external differentiation
 To ease decision making
 They are living heritages leaving and
evolving/transforming/morphing with societies.

51. Medicalisation of food
and eating patterns
Food consumption ↔ risk
Key concept : Nutriments
macro and micro
Combination of food ↔ risk
Key concept : Meal
Social context of consumption ↔ risk
Key concept : Food model
Eating patterns

52. Pour en savoir plus
 J.-P. Poulain, Sociologie de l’obésité, PUF, 2009.
 J.-P. Poulain, Sociologies de l’alimentation, PUF, 2005.
 J.-P. Poulain et E. Neirinck, Histoire de la cuisine et des cuisiniers,
Lanore, 2004.
 J.-P. Corbeau et J.-P. Poulain, Penser l’alimentation, entre imaginaire et
rationalité, Privat, 2002.
 J.-P. Poulain, Manger aujourd’hui, Attitudes, normes et pratiques,
Privat, 2001.
 J.-P. Poulain, « Eléments de sociologie de l’alimentation et de la
nutrition », in A. Basdevant, M. Laville et E. Lerebours, Traité de
nutrition clinique, Flammarion, 2001.
 « French gastronomie, french gastronomies », in Goldstein D. et
Merkele K., 2005, Culinary cultures of Europe Identity, Diversity and
dialogue, Éditions du Conseil de l’Europe, p. 157-170.
 Site Internet : lemangeur-ocha.com