62 Food Choice
a developmental perspective which emphasizes the impact of learning
though exposure, social learning, and associative learning. This approach
highlights the role of important others, cues, and associations in the
development of food preferences, and draws on the central tenets of learn-
ing theory. Second, it has described a cognitive approach to food choice
which emphasizes food choice as the end product of a series of interact-
ing cognitions. Finally, it has described a psychophysiological model with
an emphasis on neurochemicals, the impact of psychopharmacological drugs,
the impact of chemical senses on hunger and satiety, the relationship
between food and cognitions, and the link between stress and eating.
Towards an integrated model of diet
Theories of food choice have been developed as a means to under-
stand why people eat what they eat and how they can be encouraged
to eat more healthily. A developmental perspective, a focus on cogni-
tions, and a psychophysiological approach are central to understanding
the complexity of food choice. However, these theoretical frameworks,
with their focus on the individual, minimize the complex meanings
surrounding food and body shape and size. Food choice takes place
within a set of social meanings concerning individual foods, meals
as a social and cultural experience, the importance of thinness, and
the stigma attached to being overweight. Developmental models
address these issues implicitly though the role of learning, as these
meanings are learned via observation and association. But their place
within such models remains marginal. Similarly, cognitive models
address these factors through cognitions such as social and moral
norms. But the complexity of such meanings is ignored. Finally,
psychophysiological perspectives predominantly focus on the
individual’s physiological makeup. The next two chapters explicitly
address the complex meanings associated with food and body size.
The impact that these factors have on eating behavior will then be
addressed with a focus on dieting in chapter 7.