Food, Nutrition and Eating Behavior

Book excerpt: Eating habits are influenced by social, cultural, religious, economic, environmental and individual factors. On the whole, people eat to stay alive and get their nutrition, but they also eat to show belonging to family or other social groups. Eating habits are linked to acceptable patterns of behaviour, which differs across countries, cultures and ethnic or religious groups. The food you eat affects your health and also puts you at risk for certain diseases. To eat healthier food, people may need to change some habits and also their environment. But in the Western world, habits are hard to change and in many countries, there is a reputation for reckless eating. People fill their cups with fatty, sugary, high-calorie foods instead of more nutritious fruits and vegetables that the experts tell us to eat. The result is an increase in obesity, heart disease and higher mortality. Our eating habits also change over time and across generations. What we liked as kids are not the same we like as adults, and what we eat is not what the generation before us ate. In this book, you will find examples of the younger generation, who are snacking not always healthy food. Chocolate bars and biscuits between or instead of regular meals can lead to obesity and health problems. As a person grows up and becomes more aware of the health hazards, they also become more concerned with nutrition and health issues, especially if they experience health problems that eventually will make them change their eating habits. Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition rules, but finding a way to get the right nutrition in your food and meals, stay away from unhealthy habits and keep yourself as healthy as possible.