Discussion 3

The Social, Psychological, Philosophical, & Physical Factors That Drive Our Food Choices.

Few of us ever really consider the aspects of our lives that influence our food choices.  While we may assume that only one or two factors play any significant role in what we eat, the reality is that there are a multitude of elements that impact individual food choices in a myriad of ways.  Learning to identify these factors on multiple levels can enable us to not only understand our food preferences, but it can also help us to determine the best food choices for the most nutritious diet. 

Food choices reflect our identities – who we are as individuals, as well as the culture, religion and society we are a part of (Boyle & Roth, 2010).  Food choices also reflect our ideals, personal values, beliefs, and even our psychological states.  Other simpler factors boil down to availability, environment, and affordability (Boyle & Roth, 2010).  Although there are just about as many influential factors as there are food choices themselves, this article will outline the most common factors to help give you a better idea of what elements in your life shape your food choices.

Social Factors:

Many scholars argue that we are products of our society.  On many levels this is true, most particularly pertaining to food.  Our food choices often reflect what is deemed acceptable by society, and our culture.  Family, friends and co-workers are considered social factors (Boyle & Roth, 2010).  Since the family is “the first social group a person encounters, as well as the one to which he or she typically belongs to for the longest period of time,” it is understandable that the family social group serves as one of the most powerful factors in our food choices (Boyle & Roth, 2010, p. 17).  Beyond family groups, we belong to a specific culture, and food is a major product of culture.  Boyle and Roth (2010) rightly point out that, “many of our eating habits arise from the traditions, belief systems, technologies, values, and norms of the culture in which we live” (p. 18). 

Another major social factor involves media and advertising (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  In today’s technology driven world, we are constantly bombarded with information regarding food.  Brought to us through TV and radio commercials, and magazine and newspaper ads, the media representation of food is designed to make consumers out of us (Barasi, 2003).

Psychological Factors:

According to Barasi (2003) “eating is a pleasurable activity, and can satisfy some of our internal needs” (p. 23).  Thus, food habits deeply reflect our psychological selves.  All of us have at least one type of food we turn to for emotional comfort – whether it is in times of stress, or in celebration.  For some it is ice cream, cookies, and other sweets that represent childhood happiness.  For others it is fast food, pizza, or snack foods.  And in other cases, it is healthy foods that represent good health and well-being.  Regardless of what specific type of food it is, humans often seek food that is psychologically comforting of a multitude of levels (Barasi, 2003).  In some cases, psychological factors can influence healthy food choices, in others not so much.  Thus, it is essential that individuals learn to identify the factors driven by the psychological being, and how they affect the quality of their diet.   

Philosophical Factors:

Philosophy is the study of knowledge, existence, and even reality, and it can have a major influence on the foods we choose to eat.  Religious and spiritual beliefs, values, morals, ethics and customs are all examples of common forms of philosophical influencers of food.  These factors vary in a diverse set of ways across the world between regions, religions, societies, cultures and individuals.  Those concerned about animal rights and the health of the environment for example, may decide to base their diet on the ethical standards found in the practices of vegetarianism or veganism.  Religious beliefs may also influence vegetarianism such as in the case of Hinduism, which views the life of all animals as sacred and therefore to be respected (Barasi, 2003).  In other instances, a dedication to choosing organic, local, and in season foods often reflects individual beliefs regarding an ethical responsibility to promote environmental sustainability (Boyle & Roth, 2010). 

Physical Factors:

In many instances, the foods we choose are simply influenced by their availability in the physical environment (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  All over the world, the ability for a particular food to grow in a particular environment deeply influences what people of that region eat.  In regions like North America for instance, certain foods like apples, cranberries, oranges, celery, lettuce, potatoes, and wheat are native to the environment, and are available almost everywhere during growing seasons (and sometimes throughout the year).  The predominance of certain types of food in a given environment often results in them being staple foods of a society and are consumed on a daily basis.

Beyond the primary factors, there are a multitude of other elements that influence our food choices.  Food allergies, the desire to lose weight, personal tastes, and genetic inheritance are just a few examples of other important and powerful factors (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  By learning to identify and prevent certain potentially negative factors like emotional eating, or advertising and convenience from controlling what we eat, we can subsequently learn to choose foods based on more positive factors such as their nutritional values and health benefits. 

References

Barasi, M. E. (2003). Human nutrition: A health perspective (2^nd ed.). New York, NY:
     Oxford University Press.

Boyle, M. A., & Roth, S. L. (2010). Personal nutrition (7^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

      Cengage Learning.

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (12^th ed).
      Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.