Introduction

One of the central problems in nutrition is the difficulty of getting people to change their dietary behaviors so as to bring about an improvement in health. What is required is a clearer understanding of the motivations of consumers, barriers to changing diets, and how we might have an impact on dietary behavior.

This book brings together insights from a number of sub-disciplines within psychology and related disciplines, in terms of what they can tell us about the influence on human food choice. It is organized into five main sections which cover: models of food choice, biological and learning influences on food choice, societal influences, food choice across the lifespan, and changing dietary behavior. The contributors are all international leaders in their respective fields and together give an overview of the current understanding of consumer food choice. This book will be of significant interest to those researching nutrition, dietetics, and psychology.