Guide to the Psychology of Eating

Why are spicy cuisines characteristic of hot climates? Does our stomach or our brain tell us when it is time to eat? And how do we decide if bugs are food? Employing a learner-centered approach, this introduction to the psychological mechanisms of consumption engages readers with questions and cross-cultural examples to promote critical analysis and evidence-based comprehension. The discipline of psychology provides an important perspective to the study of eating, given the remarkable complexity of our food environments (including society and culture), eating habits, and relationships with food. As everything psychological is simultaneously biological, the role of evolutionary pressures and biopsychological forces are bases to explore complex processes within the book, such as sensation and perception, learning and cognition, and human development. The authors illuminate contemporary eating topics, including the scope and consequences of overnutrition, the aetiology of eating disorders, societal focus on dieting and body image, controversies in food policy, and culture-inspired cuisine. Supplemental resources and exercises are provided in a pedagogically-focused companion website.

Review: Leighann Chaffee and Stephanie da Silva serve a buffet of enticing topics in the psychology of eating, from anosmia to settling zone theory. Their presentation of content is engaging, cleverly organized, and includes critical topics such as traditional knowledge about food. The authors season the book with helpful background information from related disciplines and plenty of suggestions for the interested reader. * Melissa Birkett, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Southern Oregon University, USA *
This volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the psychology of nutrition and food choice. There are many suggestions for those who are intrigued by the material to follow up further. The material successfully navigates the border between laboratory and real-world science, theory, and application. * Charles Spence, Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford, UK *