Attitudes to food and eating behaviour

Eating is essential for survivial. Many factors influence attitudes to food and eating, the prime ones being mood, cultural influences and health concerns.

Mood

Emotional states affect eating practices, either in small ways or in ways that explain abnormal eating behaviour such as binging.

• Wansink et al (2008) offered popcorn and grapes to participants, finding that people watching a sad film ate more popcorn to cheer themselves up while those who watched a comedy ate grapes to prolong their mood.
• Wolff et al (2000) found that female binge eaters had more negative moods on binge-eating days than female normal eaters, suggesting that negative moods are related to abnormal eating.

Cultural influences

Different cultural and sub-cultural groups have different eating practices, transmitted to group members…