New Information Statement examines the psychology of food intake and portion control

IFST has released a new Information Statement, ‘The psychology of food intake and portion control’ authored by Dr Katherine Appleton, Associate Professor in Psychology at Bournemouth University, and peer-reviewed by IFST’s Scientific Committee. IFST Information Statements summarise the authoritative and impartial science behind key food science issues. 

Overweight, obesity, and various associated poor health conditions continue to increase across the world. These increasing conditions have multi-factorial causes, one of them being increased food intake. In developed countries, food is readily available, cheaper, and more accessible, but there are other factors that determine the type of food and the quantity that people eat.

Dr Katherine Appleton said of the statement:

“’Few of us eat just because we are hungry. Most of the time, we eat as a result of how we feel, or what we think, or even, where we are or who we are with. Most of these psychological factors, though, also result in us eating more than we know we should.”

This latest Information Statement examines the psychological factors impacting portion size and food intake, such as cognitions, hedonics, emotions, and our interpretation of our surroundings. Do we eat better if we’re aware of the effects of a healthy diet? How do sensory properties such as taste, flavour and texture effect the amount and types of food that we eat? How does our consumption change depending on our emotions or environment?

All these questions and more are examined in the latest Information Statement, available online at http://www.ifst.org/knowledge-centre/information-statements/psychology-food-intake-and-portion-control.