Transcript choosing_nutrition

Factors affecting choosing
nutrition
1.Individual characteristics
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Age
Gender
State of health
Mood
education
2.Socioeconomic
Factors
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Advertising
Environment
Income
Transport
Storage/cooking facilities
Social status
Peer group pressure
3. Geographical and
Cultural factors
Geographical location
Culture
Religion
1. Individual Characteristics
Age
 Infants have no choice over what they eat, but as
they become older they exert more and more
control over the food that thy consume. This
normal process of development, as toddler start
expressing their individual food preferences,
starts the establishment of food preferences of
lifetime.
 Although it may not seem like it to the careers,
they still exert overwhelming control over their
children’s consumption.
 Once children start school, peer group pressure
starts to influence food choice.
 Old age also influences food choice, as the
frailty of an individual increases so do the
limitations that the frailty imposes on the ability
to purchase, prepare and consume food.
Gender
 Males
have higher energy
requirements than females and,
in those societies where they are
seen as the breadwinners, they
are likely to be given the largest
portion of a meal and the
choicest parts of the food.
State of Health
An individual’s health affects choice in a number
of ways:
A food that causes discomfort will be avoided.
Anorexia and nausea usually mean that people
choose small portions of familiar foods.
Physical difficulty in obtaining, preparing and eating
food all restrict choice.
Foods that are believed to be health-giving or
beneficial for a specific condition will be chosen.
The hot and cold belief’s present in many cultures
are very complicated.
Foods that are associated with comfort will be
chosen.
Mood
 Mood
affects an individual’s
choice of food; for example,
some one may choose
confectionery because he
feels that he should be
indulged.
Education
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Individual’s acquire knowledge from a
host of sources and people. Not only
do they obtain nutritional knowledge
from people. Who influence them, such
as family and teachers, but they also
acquire attitudes as to whether or not
this information is important and
should be acted upon.
2. Socioeconomic
Factors
Advertising
Huge amounts of money are spent
on food advertising, the main aims
of which are to persuade people to:
Buy new product
Buy more of a particular product
change brand of a particular product
Maintain loyalty to a specific product.
No
group of population is
excluded from the influences
of advertising and it has
profound effects on food
choices.
A lot of advertising on
television is intended to
change children’ eating
habits.
Environment
The environment in which a food is to be
prepared affects food choice as does the
environment in which it is to be consumed.
If the cooking and storage facilities are
limited, then the choice of foods is restricted
by whether or not it is actually feasible to
prepare and cook a particular item.
The same applies to where the food is to
eaten.
Environment is also influenced by
socioeconomic factors.
Income
Surveys
show that
those with a low
income have a poorer
diet than those with
higher income.
Transport
Superstores stock a wide variety of
goods that are generally at lower prices
but are only accessible to those with their
own transport or good public transport.
Local corner shops usually stock a
limited range of foods at higher prices.
This may mean that foods like fruit,
vegetables and whole meal are
expensive.
Storage/cooking facilities
 If
storage and cooking facilities are
poor then it is inevitable that people
will have to reply on manufactured and
pre-packed foods which require little
more than unwrapping and reheating,
or buy their food at restaurants or takeaway food shops. This is of particular
significance to those living in bed and
breakfast accommodation.
Social status
 In
every culture there are foods
that are perceived as high-status
foods and those that are
considered of low status.
 For example, in the UK cabbage is
seen as a low-status food while
broccoli is seen as a high-status
food.
Peer group pressure
Individuals
want to belong
to a group and so conform
to the dietary pattern of
those around them. This is
particularly so amongst
children.
3. Geographical and Cultural
Factors
Geographical location
This influences the availability of
foods.
The staple food of population
depends on the climate, and way
in which food is cooked depends
on the availability of fuel.
Culture
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Culture is defined as the customs and civilization of a
particular people or group.
The dietary habits of any group people conform to a
culturally standardized set of behaviors.
These are acquired from the family and surrounding
community and show considerable variation. Children
grow up in a culture and accept to the cultural tradition
that surrounds them.
Culture will also govern food intake. In some cultures,
the ideal body shape is very thin, whereas, in others,
obesity is striven for as it signifies wealth and success.
Religion
Food
has differing
significance in
different dietary rules
depends on the
individual.