The Psychology of Eating (eBook)

Jane Ogden is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK. She has published over 100 articles and several books, including Health Psychology: A Textbook and Fat Chance: The Myth of Dieting Explained. Her current research interests include the control of eating behavior, the medical and surgical management of obesity, aspects of women's health, and the role of language in the doctor-patient relationship.

List of Figures viii

Foreword - Janet Polivy x

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

The Aim of This Book 1

The Focus of This Book 2

The Structure of This Book 2

Further Reading 5

Chapter 2 Healthy Eating 8

What Is Healthy Eating? 8

The Role of Diet in Contributing to Illness 11

The Role of Diet in Treating Illness 16

Who Has a Healthy Diet? 20

The Impact of Health Concerns 27

A Note on Measuring Food Intake 28

Conclusion 30

Chapter 3 Food Choice 31

Developmental Models of Food Choice 32

Cognitive Models of Food Choice 43

Psychophysiological Models of Food Choice 49

Conclusion 61

Chapter 4 The Meaning of Food 63

Food Classification Systems 64

Food as a Statement of the Self 66

Food as Social Interaction 72

Food as Cultural Identity 74

Measuring Beliefs About the Meaning of Food 80

Conclusion 80

Chapter 5 The Meaning of Size 82

Media Representations 82

The Meaning of Sex 87

The Meaning of Size 88

Conclusion 96

Chapter 6 Body Dissatisfaction 97

What Is Body Dissatisfaction? 97

Who Is Dissatisfied With Their Body? 100

Causes of Body Dissatisfaction 105

Consequences of Body Dissatisfaction 112

Conclusion 115

Chapter 7 Dieting 116

Putting Dieting in Context 116

The Dieting Industry 121

What Is Dieting? 127

Dieting and Overeating 130

The Consequences of Dieting 138

Problems With Restraint Theory 142

Conclusion 146

Chapter 8 Obesity 148

What Is Obesity? 148

How Common Is Obesity? 151

What Are the Consequences of Obesity? 152

What Are the Causes of Obesity? 157

Physiological Theories 157

The Obesogenic Environment 163

Problems With Obesity Research 177

Conclusion 179

Chapter 9 Obesity Treatment 180

Doctors' Beliefs About Obesity 180

Dietary Interventions 182

Should Obesity Be Treated at All? 187

The Treatment Alternatives 190

The Success Stories 201

Preventing Obesity 206

Conclusion 209

Chapter 10 Eating Disorders 211

Anorexia Nervosa 211

What Are the Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa? 220

Bulimia Nervosa 225

What Are the Consequences of Bulimia Nervosa? 230

Causes of Eating Disorders 233

Conclusion 252

Chapter 11 Treating Eating Disorders 254

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 255

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 259

Family Therapy 264

Inpatient Treatment 267

An Integrated Approach to Treatment 273

Chapter 12 An Integrated Model of Diet 276

A Summary of the Literature on Diet 276

Common Themes Across the Literature on Eating Behavior 279

An Integrated Model of Diet 285

Conclusion 286

References 288

Author Index 351

Subject Index 365

"A highly respected scholar, Ogden (health psychology, Univ. of Surrey, UK) has done a masterful job of updating the book and, more important, integrating the interdisciplinary research findings into a broad-based framework. Accordingly, this is the most comprehensive treatment of the subject currently available.... Ogden's writing style is engaging, and her model of diet creative and useful. Including 62 pages of scholarly references, this comprehensive volume offers a feast of information. Summing Up: Highly recommended." (Choice, 1 May 2011)

"Overall this book provides an interesting insight into the psychology of eating and should be a useful resource for those who work in the field of nutrition and dietetics, particularly those who work in weight loss, obesity treatment or the treatment of eating disorders. It should also be a useful read for anyone who wants to understand more about why we eat what we eat, and why many have eating habits/behaviours that may not always be good for their health." (Nutrition Bulletin, June 2010)

"Jane Ogden, a long-time, well-regarded contributor to this field herself, has managed successfully to bring together the principal issues and domains concerning the interrelated areas of dieting, obesity, body image, and eating disorders. For researchers, practitioners, and those simply interested in understanding the complexities of eating and related issues, this book provides a valuable resource."
--Professor Janet Polivy, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Canada

"Eating can be a source of delight or an opportunity for poor psychological and physical health. In this book Jane Ogden gives a scholarly and yet digestible overview of the psychological underpinnings of this important area."
--Janet Treasure, King's College London