What influences eating behavior?
To lose weight, enough to eat regular, healthier, smaller portions, true?
Why then only few of us manage to achieve the effect and maintain it??
As I have already written more than once, slimming is not only based on math and calorie conversion. Man is not a machine. It is true that it has control mechanisms, however, it is not always able to deal with them on its own. Meaning: despite strenuous attempts and willingness, to lose weight, it does not always happen, because we cannot stick to our assumptions. Then it is worth seeking advice from a psychodietician or at least look inside yourself and find the factors, which are responsible for the failure in this matter. You also have to find a way, How to deal with them.
To understand the complexity of the problem, I suggest you look at the factors, that influence our eating behavior.
Determinants of eating behavior
The process of making decisions in the field of nutrition, as in other aspects of human life, is conditioned by various factors. These factors act to stimulate or inhibit eating behavior. They are related to the food itself, man and his environment and constitute integrated, interacting system.
A review of the literature on the subject provided many different models for the classification of factors determining eating behavior. Despite the differences between them, Selection factors can be assigned to one of three groups:
- Product factors; they relate to physicochemical properties, sensory (smell, taste, appearance, texture)
and functional (package, convenience, availability), as well as the nutritional value, e.t.c., - consumer factors, which they consist of: personal characteristics (sex, age, education), psychological factors (personality, the moods of the experience) and physiological features (satiety, hunger, health);
- environmental factors, tj. economic factors (income, price), cultural (beliefs, beliefs), social (social status, the influence of the environment, fashion) e.t.c.
The analysis of the literature on the subject showed, that most of the authors dealing with the issues of determinants of the sphere of food and nutrition, emphasized fact, That it is impossible to isolate individual factors from each other, as, that they are closely related and have common elements. They should be seen in the context of the others.
The above-mentioned factors influencing human behavior in the matter of nutrition complement each other. Means, that some features of an individual are the result of influences from the physical environment, others arise under the influence of experiences related to human functioning in society. As part of the impact of both these environments, the characteristics of the unit should also be taken into account, because it is their inseparable element.
That is why the diet must be individually adapted to each person. Please note, that if it is to be effective, it takes time to change, and those taking place in the mind, and those in the body. You should also get to know yourself and your needs, motives either on their own or on the advice of a specialist. There is no need to look for shortcuts and catch more diets - a miracle. Each subsequent unsuccessful attempt to lose weight, destroys motivation.