Factors influencing food choices
Introduction
The Consumptions of different foods for energy purposes is considered to be a natural part of life for many individuals. Our bodies use nutrients gained from different foods to promote growth, development, and cell and muscle function in our bodies contributing to our continual survival. However modern day c food are influenced by numerous factors such as social environment, physical environment, and religious beliefs. Individual taste and preferences also have an impact on the food choices we make on day-to-day basis. In todays modern day society consumptions of foods is not just based on physiological and nutritional needs its become more about taste, emotional mode, and social food norms etc. with such a large variety of food choices and information at our figure tips most of us would think making health food choices would be simple, but due large verities and easy access to foods from all around the globe making healthier choices has become more difficult then it should. What foods we mainly consume and how much off are generally the defining factors to our health status. Different types of environmental influences operate across multiple domains. Biological factors such as hunger humans need energy and nutrients in order to function and palatability which is affiliated with taste it is the pleasurable experience provided by foods and fluids that’s taste good ("The Determinants of Food Choice: (EUFIC)", 2017) There is a correlation between the influence of Palatability on appetite and on food intake in individuals. Several studies show that food intake increases as palatability increases (Sorensen, Moller, Flint, Martens, & Raben, 2003). Our intake of less or more certain foods generally tends to be influence by our social environment and societal norms such as family, peers social groups, social class, demographic. For this research paper we explored various different articles, journals, research studies, research papers all within the past five years in order to better understands what aspects influences our food choices.
Environmental influences on food choices
According to the ecological models they are four broad levels that influences food choices in individuals. These are social environment, individual, physical environment and macro level environments, (Larsen & Story 2009), all interact with each other directly and indirectly to influence food choices. Physical environments such as weather the verities of foods are available to them at work, school, and home. For example those living in rural remote areas tend to have less access to fresh produce such as fruits and vegies compared to those living in inner cities areas. This impacts some individuals in rural areas might not consume as much fruit and vegies then there counter parts. An observational study on fruit and vegetable intake among school children was conducted by a British journal in 2008. The findings suggest that sch...
