Understanding fat preference and consumption: applications of behavioural sciences to a nutritional problem.

Because of the associations between fat intakes and the development of several major chronic diseases, governmental and health authorities in Western nations have voiced consistent recommendations for reductions in fat consumption over the past 35 years (Cannon, 1992). In these countries, fat consumption has been arguably the foremost public health nutrition issue over most of this period; yet, in contrast to the massive accumulation of human and animal studies related to the potential physiological and pathological effects of fat consumption, the nutrition literature contains a paucity of work on the possible bases for this behaviour. The populations of North America and western Europe, with economic and market access to a diet of virtually any possible composition, consume 3742% of their food energy as fat. It is unclear why in a free-choice situation they choose to consume fat at this level and, correspondingly, why compliance with recommendations to reduce fat intakes has been so poor. Such issues of food selection and eating behaviour fall within the domain of both nutrition and more traditional behavioural sciences, and they are best addressed by individuals and groups with expertise in both. The present paper briefly considers factors which may contribute to understanding the basis for fat consumption, with examples of how ideas and methods derived from the behavioural sciences can contribute to research and understanding of a major nutrition issue. In order to limit the discussion, the emphasis is on contributions from experimental and social psychology, and only limited reference will be made to the animal literature.