Psychology of Eating

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.

"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)

• List of Figures viiiForeword – Janet Polivy xAcknowledgments xiiiChapter 1 Introduction 1The Aim of This Book 1The Focus of This Book 2The Structure of This Book 2Further Reading 5Chapter 2 Healthy Eating 8What Is Healthy Eating? 8The Role of Diet in Contributing to Illness 11The Role of Diet in Treating Illness 16Who Has a Healthy Diet? 20The Impact of Health Concerns 27A Note on Measuring Food Intake 28Conclusion 30Chapter 3 Food Choice 31Developmental Models of Food Choice 32Cognitive Models of Food Choice 43Psychophysiological Models of Food Choice 49Conclusion 61Chapter 4 The Meaning of Food 63Food Classification Systems 64Food as a Statement of the Self 66Food as Social Interaction 72Food as Cultural Identity 74Measuring Beliefs About the Meaning of Food 80Conclusion 80Chapter 5 The Meaning of Size 82Media Representations 82The Meaning of Sex 87The Meaning of Size 88Conclusion 96Chapter 6 Body Dissatisfaction 97What Is Body Dissatisfaction? 97Who Is Dissatisfied With Their Body? 100Causes of Body Dissatisfaction 105Consequences of Body Dissatisfaction 112Conclusion 115Chapter 7 Dieting 116Putting Dieting in Context 116The Dieting Industry 121What Is Dieting? 127Dieting and Overeating 130The Consequences of Dieting 138Problems With Restraint Theory 142Conclusion 146Chapter 8 Obesity 148What Is Obesity? 148How Common Is Obesity? 151What Are the Consequences of Obesity? 152What Are the Causes of Obesity? 157Physiological Theories 157The Obesogenic Environment 163Problems With Obesity Research 177Conclusion 179Chapter 9 Obesity Treatment 180Doctors’ Beliefs About Obesity 180Dietary Interventions 182Should Obesity Be Treated at All? 187The Treatment Alternatives 190The Success Stories 201Preventing Obesity 206Conclusion 209Chapter 10 Eating Disorders 211Anorexia Nervosa 211What Are the Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa? 220Bulimia Nervosa 225What Are the Consequences of Bulimia Nervosa? 230Causes of Eating Disorders 233Conclusion 252Chapter 11 Treating Eating Disorders 254Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 255Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 259Family Therapy 264Inpatient Treatment 267An Integrated Approach to Treatment 273Chapter 12 An Integrated Model of Diet 276A Summary of the Literature on Diet 276Common Themes Across the Literature on Eating Behavior 279An Integrated Model of Diet 285Conclusion 286References 288Author Index 351Subject Index 365