12
An Integrated Model of Diet
Most areas of diet-related research are studied by different researchers,
published in different outlets, and examined from different theoretical
perspectives. This book has provided a detailed map of this vast literature
and has described the spectrum of eating behavior from healthy eating
through to eating disorders. To do so it has drawn upon disciplines such
as psychology, nutrition, medicine, and sociology, and used both empirical
and clinical evidence. This final chapter first provides a summary of the
literature covered and presents an overview of the ways in which these
different areas of diet relate to each other. Second, the chapter explores the
themes and constructs which are common to the different theories, models,
and studies which have been presented. Finally, the chapter examines the
ways in which these common themes interrelate, and offers an integrated
model of diet. This model is developed further in Ogden (2007) in the con-
text of symptom onset and the role of the socially sanctioned pathway.
This final chapter covers the following:
- A summary of the literature on diet
- Common themes across the literature on eating behavior
- An integrated model of diet
A Summary of the Literature on Diet
The research and theories presented in this book could have been grouped
in a variety of different ways. This book presented the work using a spec-
trum from healthy to disordered eating. This spectrum involved a progression
in terms of two main factors. First, the areas covered reflected an increase
in significance in terms of mortality and impact on psychological and