Sociocultural Influences On Food
What are sociocultural influences? What sociocultural factors influence food choices? The education of an individual has a massive impact on the choices that are made revolving around healthy eating. People who are educated and hold knowledge on the topic of healthy dietary are more likely to engage in healthy eating behaviours. But this solely depends on if the individual is able to put their knowledge into practice. To educate the population on healthy eating accurate and consistent messages need to be demonstrated. A person lacking knowledge on healthy food choices and who has limited experience in cooking skills will likely rely on ready-made-meals with basic ingredients as their ultimate food source. This can result in an unhealthy diet that lacks nutrients.
There are many differences in food choices throughout various social classes that lead to sometimes under or over nutrition. People in higher social groups usually have healthier diets consisting of higher intakes of fruit, raw vegetables, lean meats, oily fish and wholemeal products due to their higher income. People is upper society generally work in high class jobs that provide them with plenty of money to indulge in healthy eating habits. Manual workers who have a lower income to support themselves and their families sometimes have to choose unhealthy eating choices over those that benefit their health due to a limited money supply. Individuals in the high society are also thought to have a healthier diet because they are often better educated, health conscious and perhaps live a healthier physical lifestyle.
The cultural impacts on food choice and preparation techniques are greatly influential on an individual. Evidence has proven that the traditions, beliefs and values are among the most dominant factors for food preference, mode of food preparation and nutritional status. However cultural habits can change as when a person moves countries where they may adopt the local food habits and culture.
The social context of a person is the last sociocultural factors that influences an individual's eating behaviours. The people who surround an individual and impact their food choices are highly controlling in a person's dietary behaviours whether the person is influenced directly on indirectly. A friend of family member buying foods for an individual is a direct impact on their diet, while a person consciously or subconsciously studying and learning the eating habits of another has an indirect impact. The people we associate with have a powerful effect on our dietary choices because people tend to mimic the eating behaviours of family, friends and co-workers. In households where parents a consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables the children are more likely to adopt the same behaviours. Similarly in a household where parents a continuously dinking soft drink varieties the children again generally consume higher intakes of soft drink. This a way in which people are influenced by others leading by example instead of just directly controlling a person's diet. The social support from family and friends v supporting healthy eating choices can be very beneficial and inspiring for an individual.
How is this different for different people. Sociocultural influences vary for different people around the world. Every person has their own unique social group and cultural background that heavily influences their eating choices. The sociocultural influences on a person's diet greatly depends on their income, employment and education. Some individual's come from highly educated backgrounds and are heavily knowledgeable on the topic of healthy eating, while others may have limited knowledge when it comes to choosing and preparing foods. The people that surround a person and the setting in which they live can impact the diet of an individual. If a person is in the company of people who are nutritious and healthy, this person is most likely to engage in similar eating behaviours. Those who live in America would have completely different sociocultural influences than someone who lived in Japan. It is the culture and society in which a person lives that defines their eating behaviours by mirroring the actions and food choices that the people around them follow.
There are many differences in food choices throughout various social classes that lead to sometimes under or over nutrition. People in higher social groups usually have healthier diets consisting of higher intakes of fruit, raw vegetables, lean meats, oily fish and wholemeal products due to their higher income. People is upper society generally work in high class jobs that provide them with plenty of money to indulge in healthy eating habits. Manual workers who have a lower income to support themselves and their families sometimes have to choose unhealthy eating choices over those that benefit their health due to a limited money supply. Individuals in the high society are also thought to have a healthier diet because they are often better educated, health conscious and perhaps live a healthier physical lifestyle.
The cultural impacts on food choice and preparation techniques are greatly influential on an individual. Evidence has proven that the traditions, beliefs and values are among the most dominant factors for food preference, mode of food preparation and nutritional status. However cultural habits can change as when a person moves countries where they may adopt the local food habits and culture.
The social context of a person is the last sociocultural factors that influences an individual's eating behaviours. The people who surround an individual and impact their food choices are highly controlling in a person's dietary behaviours whether the person is influenced directly on indirectly. A friend of family member buying foods for an individual is a direct impact on their diet, while a person consciously or subconsciously studying and learning the eating habits of another has an indirect impact. The people we associate with have a powerful effect on our dietary choices because people tend to mimic the eating behaviours of family, friends and co-workers. In households where parents a consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables the children are more likely to adopt the same behaviours. Similarly in a household where parents a continuously dinking soft drink varieties the children again generally consume higher intakes of soft drink. This a way in which people are influenced by others leading by example instead of just directly controlling a person's diet. The social support from family and friends v supporting healthy eating choices can be very beneficial and inspiring for an individual.
How is this different for different people. Sociocultural influences vary for different people around the world. Every person has their own unique social group and cultural background that heavily influences their eating choices. The sociocultural influences on a person's diet greatly depends on their income, employment and education. Some individual's come from highly educated backgrounds and are heavily knowledgeable on the topic of healthy eating, while others may have limited knowledge when it comes to choosing and preparing foods. The people that surround a person and the setting in which they live can impact the diet of an individual. If a person is in the company of people who are nutritious and healthy, this person is most likely to engage in similar eating behaviours. Those who live in America would have completely different sociocultural influences than someone who lived in Japan. It is the culture and society in which a person lives that defines their eating behaviours by mirroring the actions and food choices that the people around them follow.