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Factors Influencing Food Choices

Sue Way

Fall 2008

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Why Are You Eating That?

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Factors Influencing Food Choices

  • Physical
  • Psychological
  • Social
  • Cultural
  • Resources

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Physical Factors: Health

  • Essential to life
  • Nutrients are needed for body to function properly
  • To control diseases such as diabetes

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Physical Factors: Health

  • Nutrition: Study of nutrients and the body uses them
  • Nutrition: How food choices affect health
  • Benefits of good nutrition: Look your best, grow properly, and you have energy

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Physical: Taste

  • You enjoy the taste of food
  • Source of pleasure

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Physical: Age

  • Needs are different throughout the life cycle

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Physical: Appetite VS Hunger

  • Appetite: A natural and healthy desire for food “Want It”
  • Hunger: Body needs food “Need It”

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Psychological: Emotional Eating

  • Stressed, troubled, bored, or unhappy

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Psychological: Means of Rewards

  • Food for good grades
  • Food for good behavior

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Psychological: Food Associations�Past Experiences�

  • Reminds you of when you were a child
  • Attach importance to an occasion or a loved one

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Social: Family

  • A time for families to prepare and share meals and time together

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Social: Peer Pressure

  • Your friends influence your choices

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Social: Special Occasions

  • Holidays, weddings, birthday parties

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Social: Food Fads

  • What’s new and trendy?

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Social: Food Fads

  • What’s old?

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Social: Lifestyle

  • Your way of life
  • Activities

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Social: Advertising

  • Advertisers want to convince you to buy their product

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Social: Advertising

  • Limited information
  • Positive images
  • Celebrity endorsement
  • Scare tactics
  • Studies
  • Infomercials
  • False claims

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Cultural: National Origin

  • Geography
  • Staple Foods
  • Economics
  • Foreign Contacts

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Cultural: Religion

  • Hindus do not eat beef
  • Jews keep Kosher
  • Catholics refrain from meat on certain days
  • Muslims don’t eat nor drink during daylight hours

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Cultural: Traditions

  • Food customs are handed down

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Cultural: Ethnic Customs

  • USA is a blend of many ethnic groups
  • Pretzels and doughnuts from Holland
  • Pizza from Italy
  • Tacos from Mexico
  • Egg rolls from Asia

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Resources

  • Objects and qualities that can help reach goals

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Resources: Food Supply

  • What foods are available
  • We may eat more seafood

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Resources: Time

  • Time to prepare meals
  • Time to shop
  • Time to eat

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Resources: Energy

  • Electricity or gas
  • Personal energy

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Resources: Knowledge

  • Knowing how to shop and prepare meals

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Resources: Skills

  • The ability to do something well

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Resources: Money

  • The amount of money you have influences the food you can buy