UNIT 1 FOOD AFFECTS LIFE

THE HISTORY OF FOOD Early people ate food raw At some point someone accidentally discovered that cooked food tasted better and was easier to digest. Eventually groups of people formed tribes and learned to hunt for food together. Some hunters became herders and learned how to raise and domesticate some animals. This led to learning to plant seeds for crops.

MAKING CHOICES ABOUT FOOD Decision Making Process: the method for thinking about possible options and outcomes before making a choice. 1. Identify the problem or decision. 2. Consider your alternatives. 3. Think about how your alternatives relate to your goals. 4. Determine which alternatives are acceptable. 5. Choose one alternative. 6. Evaluate your decision

FOOD MEETS PHYSICAL NEEDS Food is one of your most basic needs. Your body needs food to provide energy required to maintain vital functions. Food meets 2 basic needs: Hunger- your physical need for food. Appetite- your psychological desire to eat. Food can also improve your wellness: Wellness- is the state of being in overall good health. The 3 areas of wellness are physical health, social health, and mental health. Stress- is mental and physical tension caused by change. The strength and energy you receive from food can improve your overall wellness and also reduce your stress levels.

CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON FOOD CHOICES What do you eat? Where do you eat? Who do you eat with? When do you eat? How does food make you feel? How you answer these questions are your food habits. Each persons food habits are a little different. Culture- the traditions or beliefs of a racial, religious, or social group. Customs- typical ways of behaving National Origins- Different colonies brought different foods from their native cultures. When certain ingredients weren’t available, they had to adapt. This caused different food dishes to be recreated. Religion-Certain religions have certain food habits. Some groups even use food as offerings, or use food to symbolize prayers. Fasting-denying oneself food Holidays- Different cultural influences are shown most prevalent during the holidays.

Social Influences on food choices Family- Food choices are often a result of family values. Values- items and ideas that a person or group considers important. Lifestyle- is the way a person usually lives Friends- Friends can influence your choices in the form of peer pressure. Peer Pressure- influence that comes from people in a person’s social group. Mass Media-TV, Radio, Magazines, Internet, Billboards Advertising- Manufacturers spend millions of dollars each year on advertising their food products. From packaging to pictures of the food to showing the company name. Food ads are big business. Bandwagon Technique- saying everyone is using the product Humor Technique- connect the product with happy feelings Nostalgia Technique- buy the product because of their natural qualities or old-fashioned goodness Transfer Technique- using famous people to sell a product Testimonial Technique- using an expert to back the product Advertising Icons- using characters to make products more recognizable

Social Influences on food choices Evaluating Information on the Media- Who conducted the research? Where were the result published? How was the study set up? Who funded the research? How many people did the researchers study? Were the results similar to the results of other studies? How much or how often does the food need to be consumed to be beneficial? Do the beneficial/harmful effects increase with repeated consumption? Does the food have different effects on different groups of people? Food Fads & Fallacies-Incomplete or Untrue facts about food products Fallacy- a mistaken belief Fad- practices that are popular for a short time Food Product Trends- unlike fads, a trend last for a much longer time. Health- consumers are more health conscious and are looking to eliminate bad ingredients Functional Foods- foods that provide health benefits beyond the nutrients they contain Convenience- short on time leads families to look for convenient food choices Great Taste- consumers will not give up taste

PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON FOOD CHOICES The way you think about food will affect the food choices you make. Your thoughts and feelings about food are based on your memories and experiences. Odors can affect the way you feel about food. Odor is a key part to flavor and can trigger memories more than anything else. Psychology also affects why you eat as well as what you eat. People can eat for comfort, or when they feel sad and lonely. This can cause people to be overweight. For someone who cannot eat when they are sad or lonely this could cause them to be underweight.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE FOOD SUPPLY Agriculture and the Environment- factors that affect the supply of foods Agriculture- the use of knowledge and skill to tend soil, grow crops, and raise livestock Environment- refers to interrelated factors like air, water, soil, mineral resources, plants, and animals that affect the survival on earth Sustainability- refers to practices that either preserve or improve environmental, societal, and economic conditions for future generations Government- laws govern the way foods are grown, processed, packaged, and labeled. USDA-United States Department of Agriculture- enforces standards for the quality and wholesomeness of meat, poultry, and eggs FDA- Food and Drug Administration-ensures the safety and wholesomeness of all other foods Economics-Law of Supply & Demand Technology-the use of knowledge to develop improved methods for doing tasks. Nutrient Content-developing processes to increase/decrease some components of food. Availability-studying ways to increase the amount of crops produced on a specific piece of land. Safety-trying to develop foods that are less likely to spread disease. Also try to find ways to use less chemicals on our food supply.