Abstract

SILVA, Isabel; PAIS-RIBEIRO, J.L.  and  CARDOSO, Helena. Why we eat what we eat: Psychosocial determinants of food selection. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2008, vol.9, n.2, pp.189-208. ISSN 1645-0086.

This paper presents a brief analysis of the psychosocial determinants of eating behaviour. It is essential to understand the factors underlying food selection, that is to say, the factors that contribute to the individual eating, what he/she eats and how much he/she eats. In this paper, we present an analysis of some of the psychological and social factors which regulate eating behaviour, as well as some of the theoretical models that try to explain eating behaviour regulation (namely the Developmental Model and the Cognitive Model). We also discuss some issues concerning the relation between food, emotion, cognition and behaviour, and the relation between stress and eating behaviour.

Keywords : Eating behaviour; Eating habits; Psychological determinants; Social determinants.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )