Factors to consider

Although taking in nutrients is as old as biology, we still don’t know why and how humans get hungry and decide to start eating. Hunger and eating are shaped by many factors, including:

• Our genes – biological determinants such as hunger, appetite, and taste
• Social determinants such as culture, family, peers and meal patterns.
• Economic determinants such as cost, income, availability.
• Physical determinants such as access, education, skills (e.g. cooking) and time.
• Circadian rhythm, our natural body clock, is synchronized with your external environment through cues like exposure to light and the timing of your meals.
• Our hormones, Ghrelin is a hormone that increases appetite, and also plays a role in body weight.
• Psychological determinants such as mood, stress, and guilt.
• Attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about food.