Why We Eat What We Do

Social, Psychological, Philosophical, and Physical Factors That Drive Our Food Choices

There are many factors that influence the choices we make regarding nutrition. "Social, psychological, philosophical, and physical factors all influence how you choose the foods that you generally eat (Sizer & Whitney, 2011, p. 12). It is vitally important that we understand what these are so that we can better understand why our diet is what it is and from how to go about successfully altering those behaviors if need be. 

Social Influence

Social influences extend beyond just the immediate connections and relationships that you may have with friends, although these influences cannot be ignored, social media has largely affected the standard American dietary habits through commercials and advertisements that sell food options filled with unhealthy ingredients. What we eat in these social settings, such as restaurants, we carry with us back to the dinner table in our own homes. Unfortunately, these businesses are only catering and listening to exactly what the people want - more bang for the buck. By acting on what the public wants, restaurants now provide inflated portion sizes filled with calories to keep consumers happy and coming back for more. At the same time this sets a standard for serving size that is only acceptable that these sizes are matched at home as well. 

Psychological 

We have all experienced hunger - when eating anything will suffice. However, cravings are slightly different because we want something specific, like a cheeseburger for example. At this point a vivid mental image may even be present and this mental imagery uses cognitive resources and brain power. Fortunately, the link between food cravings and what the body actually needs can be as simple as a single nutritional element. For example, someone has a craving for salt and vinegar potato chips and feel as though they need to get these specific chips visualized in their mind in order to fill their craving. What the body is really trying to say is that it needs sodium or that there is possibly a mineral deficiency. Understanding these cravings can allow you to make healthy alternative sources that will still provide the body with what it needs and not what you think you want. Furthermore, the wants and desires to eat can be fueled by a poor relationship with food where food makes up for a lack of something else in ones life and can be a result of emotional eating from a poor relationship for example. Furthermore, there can be a positive or negative association with food that controls ones food choices and can lead to poor habits formed. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly due to its leading cause of food choices is our sensory aspects. "Taste prevails as the number-one factor driving food choices by U.S. consumes" (Sizer & Whitney, 2013) with cost following as second. In all respects, taste essentially encompasses all sensory functions produced by the ingestion of food included smell and texture and is often associated and though to influence spontaneous food choices, or in other words cravings. 

Food For Thought

There are many arguments that surround the food industry and many individuals who hold strongly to their beliefs whether their fighting argument be the taste of certain foods, nutritional value,

culture/tradition, or religion/spirituality, peer pressure, or advertisements. These factors, or beliefs, affect what people eat on a daily basis. One of the leading arguments is by those who believe animals should not be used for human nutritional means because of animal rights, animal suffering, virtue and environmental harm. Those who agree with this support their beliefs by choosing not to include meat in their diet. Regardless, a healthy diet requires amounts of nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and calcium which can all be found from meat sources. My point here is that if one chooses to exclude a certain food source from their diet that provides them with essential nutrients then those nutrients must be accounted for by some other form of food - such as plant proteins for those who choose not to eat meat so that protein intake can still remain sufficient. 

Physical Factors

Studies have confirmed that satisfying hunger has many dimensions, including physical.  With limited amounts of money to spend on food in struggling economic times people may avoid spending excess money on more expensive, and often healthier, food choices but focus more on what can feed a family for as little cost as possible, which tends to be food that is easily accessible and available to their locality. While cost and sustainability both play a factor, location also dictates what people choose to eat due to accessibility, which often goes hand-in-hand with cost; the further the product must travel the more the food may cost. Lastly, education and knowledge of nutritional concepts influence the behavior of food choices knowledge alone does not directly result in action if one does not know what action to take. Becoming educated and knowledgable about health concepts will gain confidence in one that they know how to make proper and healthy minded food choices that benefit the body. 

References

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Engage Learning.