Feeding Disorders: Cultural Factors

[Page 1441]Eating is one of the most important social interactions that we engage in every day. Holidays, life cycle events, and celebrations of all types are often defined by the foods we eat and how we eat them. As is the case with most social interactions, culture defines the rules by which we interact when eating. Culture influences the contextual rules by which the individual, the family system, and, more broadly, the feeding practices in the community are defined. Yet surprisingly, little scientific attention has been given to cultural factors and the effects they may have on feeding problems and disorders. This is a curious oversight given that cultural norms affect many aspects of feeding. Despite the limited study of cultural issues that affect feeding, ...