While hunger is known as the key influencer for eating, what one chooses to eat is not determined by the nutritional or physiological needs. The choice of food is influenced by several factors including biological factors such as hunger or taste, economic factors such as income level or cost of food, physical factors such as cooking skills or time, social factors such as meal patterns, or culture, as well as psychological factors such stress or mood (Devine, 2005). Food choice can be complex based on the determinants already mentioned. Food choice determinants may also vary based on the life stage and one determinant may also vary from an individual perspective to the next. For that reason, interventions geared towards modifying food choice behaviors should be made for different groups considering the many factors influencing decision making on food choices (Nestle et al., 1998). This paper picks on hunger which is a biological factor, the cost which is an economic factor and peer influence which is a social determinant.
Cost is undoubtedly one of the primary influencers of food choices. Since most foods are bought with money, what one buys solely depends on the person's income, the cost of food and the socio-economic factors. The low-income individual tends to consume an unbalanced diet because they cannot afford a balanced one (Nestle et al., 1998). Also, this group of people tends to have a low intake of vegetables and fruits. Even so, it is important to note that having money does not equate to a quality diet. Fruits and vegetables are usually regarded as prohibitively expensive and not most low income earning group can afford them as needed. Failing to consume a balanced diet can have negative health consequences. Some people end up becoming diabetic because their diet patterns are constrained into unhealthy foods which are affordable. Apart from diabetes, poor diet may attract diseases such as kwashiorkor and marasmus. Many children in the developing countries develop these diseases because their families cannot afford a balanced diet food. Even with economic hardships, one can still design a cheap and healthy diet. It is important to plan one's budget in a manner that accommodates all the nutrients even if the budget is small.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Hunger is the basic determinant of food choice. For humans to survive, they need energy and nutrients. Also, humans respond to the feelings of satiety and hunger. The central nervous system controls the balance between appetite stimulation, hunger, and food intake. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates generate satiety signals with different strengths. According to Devine (2005), proteins are the most satiating while fats are the least. Hunger can drive an individual to consume food which is not healthy just to get the energy to survive. When one is hungry, one tends to get food which is ready made or that which is easy to cook some of which may not be quality (Steptoe, Pollard & Wardle, 1995). One who forms a habit of eating snacks, or ready-made food may end up not eating healthy and for that reason attract diseases. It is important for one to go for healthy choices even when hungry. Eating fruits and vegetables when hungry is a good way to deal with hunger in a healthy manner.
Another determinant of food choices is peer influence. With the issues of class and trend, most people want to identify themselves with what is considered classy and trendy. What people consume is normally constrained by cultural and social circumstances. Even when one eats alone, food choice is determined by the social factors because habits and attitudes are usually developed through social interactions. While most people are not aware of the social influences on their eating habits, social influences and peer pressure exerts influences on the food choices. According to Steptoe, Pollard & Wardle (1995), there are differences when it comes to food consumption and social classes. Poor diets usually lead to either under consumption of micronutrients which subsequently lead to a deficiency of nutrients or overconsumption of nutrients which can result to overweight or obesity. These two problems face different classes of the societies. It is important to associate with people who understand nutrition and those who can positively influence food choices. If one is surrounded by such people, then peer influence or social influence would positively impact the food choices.
CLASSMATE 1 discussion: Many factors influence food choices. Factors range from my lifestyle, age and culture. These influences affect society in different ways. For example, according to a study done in 2014 by the National Examination and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than two in three adults were considered to be overweight or have obesity (overweight and obesity statistics, par. 3, 2017). So your food choices play a huge role in your overall health. The three factors that affect my food choices are the appeal of food, food availability and parental influence.
Fast food chains around the world come up with new ways to make their food look irresistible in commercials year after year. In result kids and adults are attracted more to this type of food. Kids will pick out a happy meal over a healthy snack any day because fast food restaurants make their food look so appealing to their customers. I have never seen an appealing bag of fruit and veggies. For me, I have to resist the urge to stop at McDonald's on the way to work all the time. The way I resist from stopping is I eat before I go to and from work so I am not hungry when I go by (Neumark, Story, Perry, Casey, par. 5, 1999).
The next factor is food availability. Families everywhere struggle to keep their home's stocked with food. So they are not getting the proper nutrition. Or families stock their kitchen with unhealthy food. Which can lead to obesity or an unhealthy lifestyle? I and my wife sometimes have trouble getting a variety of food. We either get to the store and forget what we need or just buy what looks good at the time. Away we can fix that is to make a list ahead of time. We can also start paying attention to the nutrition label. The blue area will tell you the nutrients you need v.s the yellow which tells you what you should limit. The percent daily value will tell me how much it contributes to a 2,000 calorie diet. This could help me and my family be healthier (Neumark, Story, Perry, Casey, par. 5, 1999).
Lastly, parents control mostly what their children will eat. So if parents are constantly buying junk food or if they are being a bad influence and they are always eating unhealthy it will affect their children. Parents should lead by example and promote a good diet with exercise. A good diet consists of variation, moderation and calorie control. Which means you should not eat the extreme of one thing, make sure you get enough of each nutrient and make sure you are taking in the same amount of calories that you burn during the day. Being a parent this is very important to me because I want my child to grow up and have a healthy lifestyle. I tend to snack a lot during the day which leads to my son wanting a snack as well. To make this a good thing I can eat a healthy snack and give it to my son. If I follow a healthy balanced diet it will lead to my son having a healthy lifestyle as well (Neumark, Story, Perry, Casey, par. 5, 1999).
Culture, age, and lifestyle are widely recognized as significant determinants in food choices. Many studies show that culture plays a role in shaping food choices. Family lifestyle can be a source of sustaining a dietary habit adopting dietary strategies which are acceptable to the culture or family.
CLASSMATE 2 discussion: If I had to pick three factors that affect my daily food choice it would be time, cost, and availability. Time – just like a lot of people I find myself trying to balance a fulltime job, school, and family commitments. I would love to cook a healthy meal everyday put on any given day I get done with work and drive 45-60 minutes to pick up my one son from football practice that never ends on time. Then I must rush home and try to make dinner and find time to do my weekly reading for classes. Many times, I find myself not making a balanced meal or even a healthy meal because it is quick and/or easier. One change I could make to try and help this situation is to prepare meals on the weekend for the week that I can heat up and serve. The next factor is cost – I go to fast food and it cost a fraction of what a salad costs to get a meal that isn't healthy at all. You can get multiple burghers for the cost of one small salad. The same goes when you go to the store the whole food and organic food cost more than other food does. Unfortunately, until I get a raise at work I can't get more money but, I have started a garden to try and grow veggies (if the squirrel will leave my tomatoes alone). The last factor is availability – junk food is often available and readily available. Just think when you go to a restaurant like I did for lunch the sandwich I ordered automatically comes with French fries and I had to ask for a side salad and then I got charged extra for the change (going back to factor 2). When I want a snack it's easy to grab some chips instead of a healthy choice. One of the things I can do to change this behavior is to have healthier snacks available like carrot stick or celery sticks precut so they are there when I want to snack.
Time constraints, cost, and availability are often mentioned as reasons for not following nutritional advice, especially by young people. People who live alone tend to go for convenience foods instead of cooking from the basic nutrients. This trend has led to a shift in the vegetables and fruits in the market from loose to packed and ready to cook products. One should develop a wide range of convenient tasty food with high nutritional profiles to help improve the diet quality of people who fall under this group.
References
Devine, C. M. (2005). A life course perspective: understanding food choices in time, social location, and history. Journal of nutrition education and behavior , 37 (3), 121-128.
Nestle, M., Wing, R., Birch, L., DiSogra, L., Drewnowski, A., Middleton, S., ... & Economos, C. (1998). Behavioral and social influences on food choice. Nutrition reviews , 56 (5), 50-64.
Steptoe, A., Pollard, T. M., & Wardle, J. (1995). Development of a measure of the motives underlying the selection of food: the food choice questionnaire. Appetite , 25 (3), 267-284.
