1. What the World Eats What Influences our Food Choices

2. Factors that Affect your Food Choices Americans make an estimated 200-plus choices regarding food each day, according to Cornell University professor Brian Wansink. Factors you scarcely notice influence many of these decisions. Although the list of potential contributing factors is long, some are particularly common. Gaining an understanding of these factors may guide you toward making wiser overall choices, gaining improved wellness as a result.

3. Hunger Going too long between meals, skipping meals and eating too few overall calories all stimulate hunger, which can influence your food choices. In ancient times, say registered dietitian Sharon Palmer, hunger was often life-saving, prompting early humans to hunt and forage for food for survival. If you experience "starvation," as many dieters claim to, you may crave foods that provide dense amounts of fat, protein, carbohydrates and calories. If you skip breakfast, for example, you may be more likely to choose a juicy cheeseburger and French fries rather than soup or salad for lunch. Intense hunger and meal-skipping can also lead to larger portions, additional helpings and desire for dessert.

4. Palatability Palatability, or how pleasing you find particular foods, also influences your choices. Taste, smell, appearance and texture of the food, and your previous experience with the food, contribute to its palatability. A food that once gave you food poisoning, for example, may remain unpalatable, while a dish you have often enjoyed may seem continuously tantalizing. Visually pleasing foods, such as fresh strawberries drizzled with dark chocolate, may appeal more than a plain grapefruit or carrot. High-fat, sweet foods, such as pastries and ice cream, have an "undeniable sensory appeal," according to the European Food Information Council. Also, these foods more often lead to overeating.

5. Proximity Ready access to foods also affects your choices. Having foods at hand commonly linked with cravings, such as chips and chocolate, is particularly likely to increase your desire for them, according to Dietitians of Canada. Living near fast food restaurants may lead to eating meals at those venues more often. Similarly, keeping fresh fruit, vegetables and low-fat milk well-stocked in your refrigerator, rather than pastries and soft drinks, can result in routine healthier food choices.

6. Parental Factors Many children develop eating habits similar to those of their parents. If you were raised on a particular cuisine, such as Italian or Asian, for example, you may choose similar foods throughout your life. A parent's attitudes and behaviors related to food, particular a mother's, tend to have a significant impact on a child's dietary habits, according to a report published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2008. If a mother diets or overeats repeatedly, for example, her child is likely to do so as well. Imposing harsh restrictions or rules on a child's food intake can lead to poor overall food choices, overeating and obesity.

7. Other Factors Psychological, Emotional, Social, Cultural, Economic, Geographical, Physical, and Religious.

8. “What the World Eats” A photo-essay comparing food-consumption and costs

9. Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25 Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips

10. The Ukita family of Kodaira City

11. Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11 Favorite foods: fish, pasta with ragu, hot dogs, frozen fish sticks

12. The Manzo family of Sicily

13. Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23 Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat

14. The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp

15. China: The Dong family of Beijing Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06 Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce

16. The Dong family of Beijing

17. Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27 Family recipe: Pig's knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips

18. The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin- Jeziorna

19. Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53 Family recipe: Okra and mutton

20. The Ahmed family of Cairo

21. United States: The Revis family of North Carolina Food expenditure for one week: $341.98 Favorite foods: spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken

22. The Revis family of North Carolina

23. Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09 Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken

24. The Casales family of Cuernavaca

25. Kuwait: The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City Food expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45 Family recipe: Chicken biryani with basmati rice

26. The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City

27. Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo Food expenditure for one week: $31.55 Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage

28. The Ayme family of Tingo

29. United States: The Caven family of California Food expenditure for one week: $159.18 Favorite foods: beef stew, berry yogurt sundae, clam chowder, ice cream

30. The Caven family of California

31. Mongolia: The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02 Family recipe: Mutton dumplings

32. The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar

33. Great Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis Food expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15 Favorite foods: avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream

34. The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis

35. Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03 Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork

36. The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village

37. Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 Favorite foods: fried potatoes with onions, bacon and herring, fried noodles with eggs and cheese, pizza, vanilla pudding

38. The Melander family of Bargteheide

39. THE END