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# Food Habits ## Factors that influence food habits The way we eat is influenced by many factors, including: * **Individual preferences:** Each person has their own likes and dislikes based on things like: * Personal experiences * Family customs and traditions * Advertising * **Cultu...

# Food Habits ## Factors that influence food habits The way we eat is influenced by many factors, including: * **Individual preferences:** Each person has their own likes and dislikes based on things like: * Personal experiences * Family customs and traditions * Advertising * **Cultural influences:** A culture sets guidelines on acceptable foods, how to prepare them, and how to eat * **Social influences:** The people we interact with influence our food choices. * This includes friends, family, colleagues, and community groups. * **Religious influences:** Some religious beliefs restrict certain foods. * **Economic influences:** When we look at what people buy, we shouldn't just consider price. Other factors include: * Money * The consumer's skills in buying food * Availability of the food * Social desirability of the food * **Environmental influences:** What grows in our environment largely determines what we eat. * **Political influences:** Government laws and regulations can impact what is available to eat, the price, and how consumers choose to eat. ## Improving your eating habits In summary, food choices are often the result of external and internal factors, but we can choose to improve our eating habits with a **reflective,** **thoughtful approach:** 1. **Reflect:** Be aware of all eating habits, both good and bad, and understand what triggers unhealthy eating. 2. **Replace:** Swap out unhealthy habits with healthier ones. 3. **Reinforce:** Stick with the changes made to form a new, healthier eating habit.