Discuss factors and attitudes influencing eating behaviour

There are many factors and attitudes, which can have a major influence over an individual's eating behaviour, such as mood, cultural factors or even their parents. Mood can have a major influence over an individual’s eating behaviour. It has been suggested that someone who over eats or under eats, may be suffering from Depression, and they use their eating behaviour as a way of masking their negative mood. It has also been shown that being in a low mood state can result in the desire to eat sweet or starchy foods. This is said to be because carbohydrates help the manufacture of serotonin (neurotransmitter associated with mood). Consuming high carb foods can also be used as a way of self-medicating an individual’s low mood. Verplanken et al (2005) conducted a correlational analysis on mood, impulse buying and the consumption of snacks. In this study, it was found that those with low self-esteem were more likely to impulse buy and consume snacks. It could be said that this is their way of coping with the emotional distress caused by low-self esteem. Therefore supporting the idea that an individual's mood can influence their eating behaviour. However, as this was a correlational study, cause and effect can not be established. It may be that impulse buying causes a lowered mood.

Social Learning Theory places emphasis on the impact that observing other people (i.e. our peers) has on our personal attitudes and behaviour. Our eating behaviours and attitudes to food, can be down to observing the behaviour of our parents. Parental attitudes towards food inevitably affect children because they control the food bought and served in the household. However, research has also shown an association between parents' and children's attitudes towards food generally. For example, Brown and Ogden (2004), reported consistent correlations between parents and their children, in terms of snack food intake, eating motivations and also body dissatisfaction. Our attitudes and eating