Contextual influences on eating behaviours: heuristic processing and dietary choices

Cohen, Deborah A.; Babey, Susan H.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-789x.2012.01001.x

Cited by 262 publications

(235 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…In particular, factors in the immediate context could be fundamental to eating either healthily or unhealthy (Cohen & Babey, 2012). For instance, features of meals reported in this study were consistent with eating at home and with family rather than out of the home and with friends which has been claimed to be less unhealthy (Chan & Sobal, 2011;Naska, Orfanos, Trichopoulou et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England

Camacho

Booth

2015

Appetite

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Dietary guidelines for the general public aim to lower the incidence of nutrition-related diseases by influencing habitual food choices. Yet little is known about how well the guidelines are matched by the actual practices that people regard as healthy or unhealthy. In the present study, British residents were asked in a cognitive interview to write a description of an occasion when either they ate in an unhealthy way or the eating was healthy. The reported foods and drinks, as well as sort of occasion, location, people present and time of day, were categorised by verbal and semantic similarities. The number of mentions of terms in each category wase then contrasted between groups in exact probability tests. Perceived unhealthy and healthy eating occasions differed reliably in the sorts of foods and the contexts reported. There was also full agreement with the national guidelines on eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, eating small amounts of foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar, drinking plenty of water, and cutting down on alcohol. There was a tendency to regard choices of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods as healthy. Reported healthy and unhealthy eating did not differ in incidences of meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein or of dairy foods and milk. These results indicate that operationally clear recommendations by health professionals are well understood in this culture but, members of the public do not make clear distinctions between healthy and unhealthy eating occasions for foods that can be included in moderate amounts in a healthy diet.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England

Camacho

Booth

2015

Appetite

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“…Not without reason, the so-labelled 'obesogenic environment' is often blamed for the steep rises in numbers of people who are overweight or obese (Cohen & Babey, 2012;Swinburn et al, 1999). Like any other factor, the environment can either support or hinder healthy eating.…”

Section: Physical Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy diet: Health impact, prevalence, correlates, and interventions

Ridder

Kroese

Evers

et al. 2017

Psychology & Health

208

146

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Objective: To discuss healthy diet from a psychological perspective by considering definitions of healthy diet in terms of consumer understanding; the health effects of specific dietary elements in terms of overweight and (chronic) illness; the prevalence of healthy diet; the psychological and environmental determinants of healthy diet; and the psychological interventions that have been designed to promote healthy diet. Design: A systematic review of the psychological literature on healthy diet. Results: Our findings suggest that consumers have a relatively poor understanding of a healthy diet. The literature also demonstrates that there is poor evidence on the health protective effects of single foods or nutrients. We further show that low SES is the single consistent risk factor for not adhering to a healthy diet. Our review of the literature on determinants demonstrates that intentions, habits, self-regulatory skills, and the social and physical environment are the most important determinants of a healthy diet, which are in turn amenable to change by intervention strategies with varying levels of effectiveness. Educational interventions generally show a limited effect on practising a healthy diet whereas interventions targeting habitual behaviour and/or the physical environment seem more promising. Conclusions: In view of the large number of people who are concerned about their diets and make attempts to change their dietary patterns, we conclude that it is crucial to gain a better understanding of both the automatic and environmental influences that are responsible for people not acting upon their good intentions for diet change.

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“…In addition, contextual factors have been identified in the literature as important in decision processes. Cohen and Babey reviewed the evidence showing how eating behaviors can be largely influenced by automatic responses to contextual food cues (e.g., restaurants and grocery stores settings encouraging impulse purchases), which can have a significant impact on food choices and intake [47]. Positive eating approaches that help to better connect the individuals with their senses and their relationship with foods could be of interest to improve eating-related attitudes and behaviors, and make it more conscious [48].…”

Section: Other Examples Factors To Consider When Exploring the Concepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Perceived Healthiness of Food on Food Choices and Intake

Provencher

Jacob

2016

Curr Obes Rep

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Healthy eating is an important determinant of health, but adherence to dietary guidelines remains a public health concern. Identifying factors that impact dietary habits are therefore important to facilitate healthy eating. One widely used strategy to help consumers make healthier food choices is nutrition information, such as labeling and claims. Despite the intention of these strategies to improve decision making, they can also be misunderstood or misinterpreted by consumers. The aim of this review is to explore food perceptions by examining how cognitive factors influence perceived healthiness of food, and the impact of perceived healthiness of food on food choices and intake. Overall findings of this review suggest that cognitive factors, such as type of food and branding, significantly contribute to judgmental bias and have an impact on perceived healthiness while not consistently or systematically influencing choice and intake.

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Contextual influences on eating behaviours: heuristic processing and dietary choices

Cited by 262 publications

References 122 publications

Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England

Meals described as healthy or unhealthy match public health education in England

Healthy diet: Health impact, prevalence, correlates, and interventions

Impact of Perceived Healthiness of Food on Food Choices and Intake

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