A Guide to the Psychology of Eating

Why are spicy cuisines characteristic of hot climates? Does our stomach or our brain tell us when it is time to eat? Are bugs food? Employing a learner-centered approach, this introduction to the psychology that lies behind our food consumption choices engages readers with questions and cross-cultural examples to promote critical analysis and an evidence-based comprehension of the psychology of eating.

The discipline of psychology provides an important perspective to the study of eating, given the remarkable complexity of our present food environment (including society and culture), eating habits, and relationships with food.

As everything psychological is simultaneously biological, the role of evolutionary pressures and biopsychological forces provides the foundation to explore complex processes within the book, such as sensation and perception, learning and cognition, socio-cultural dynamics, and human development. Likewise, the influence of food on psychological experiences is explored. The authors illuminate contemporary eating topics, including the scope and consequences of the obesity epidemic, the aetiology of eating disorders, societal focus on dieting and body image, controversies in food policy, and culture-inspired cuisine. Supplemental resources and exercises involving contemporary topics are provided in a pedagogically focused companion website.