Effective Strategies to Help Adults Manage How Much They Eat

Complex factors play an interrelated role in individual eating behaviors. Neurophysiological factors such as genetics, the neuroendocrine system signaling hunger and satiety, and the brain’s reward system help govern energy balance within the human body but are malleable and adaptable. Psychological and cognitive factors help shape eating behavior and affect the neurophysiological systems. Such psychological factors include stress, mood, and emotional status; cognitive factors include inhibition, impulsivity, decision-making, memory, and distraction. Eating behaviors are also influenced by psychosocial factors such as habit, social norms, and social modeling. Finally, food cues and other environmental factors such as portion sizes and food marketing messages contribute to the complex of factors influencing food choices and eating behaviors. The potential strategies and interventions for managing food choices and energy intake must address these multifactorial influences on individual eating behaviors. Current research indicates that multicomponent interventions have been among the most successful in helping individuals improve the nutritional quality and energy balance in their daily diets. These helpful components include helping individuals create a supportive eating and food preparation environment in their homes, improve portion control, adopt mindful eating and stress relief techniques, learn and use cognitive behavioral techniques and skills, and learn how to make healthful food choices within the external food environments they encounter.