The adjustments in food intake that people make in response to those they are eating with (Vartanian et al., 2015).

Societal norms are the unwritten rules and expectations that guide behavior within a society or a specific group. These norms dictate what is considered acceptable or unacceptable in terms of attitudes, beliefs, and actions, influencing social behavior and interactions.

Socioeconomic factors are the social and economic influences that shape an individual’s or a community’s status in society. These factors include income, education, occupation, social class, and other elements that contribute to one’s overall socioeconomic position.

The somatic nervous system is a component of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory information from the body to the central nervous system. It governs conscious actions, such as skeletal muscle movements and the perception of external stimuli.

Stress is a physiological and psychological response to a perceived threat or challenge. It is the body’s natural reaction to situations that demand adjustment or coping. Stress triggers the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, and prompts various physiological changes to prepare the body for a”fight or flight” response.

The Stress Hyporesponsive Period (SHRP) refers to a developmental stage in early life, typically observed in mammals, including humans, during which the stress response system is temporarily less reactive or responsive. This period is characterized by a diminished physiological response to stressors, such as a reduced release of stress hormones like cortisol.

Stress resilience refers to an individual’s ability to adapt and effectively cope with stressful situations, maintaining emotional and mental well-being. It involves the capacity to withstand and recover from stressors, preventing them from causing long-term negative effects on mental health.

Stressful eating refers to the behavior of consuming food in response to stress, emotional discomfort, or negative emotions. It is often a coping mechanism in which individuals use food to alleviate or manage stress.

The striatum is a brain region divided into dorsal (caudate nucleus and putamen) and ventral (including the nucleus accumbens) sections. It plays key roles in motor control, reward processing, reinforcement learning, and habit formation. In the context of eating behavior, the striatum contributes to the rewarding and motivational aspects of food: the ventral striatum processes the pleasure and reward derived from eating, reinforcing food-seeking behaviors, while the dorsal striatum is involved in the development of habitual eating patterns and routines.

Structural inequities refer to deeply ingrained societal and institutional disparities that limit access to resources, opportunities, and rights for certain groups, often based on factors like race, gender, or socioeconomic status. These inequities perpetuate unequal conditions and outcomes, influencing overall health, education, and social mobility.