Abstract
This chapter discusses the psychological foundation of overeating. It is argued that obesity and overweight are caused by hedonic rather than homeostatic hunger. Overeating may be the consequence of individuals’ response to external cues, especially as provided by an obesogenic environment. The use of comfort foods to overcome stress has also been explained. Economic transformation may also be stressful for some individuals and so may lead to greater obesity and overweight. The increase of income in China also has led to a change in dietary patterns which has been explained using the Engel curve. An argument for the integration between psychology and economics through behavioural economics has been made as it provides a greater understanding of individuals’ departure from the rational decision model.
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Joshua, J. (2017). The Psychological Foundation of Overeating and Behavioural Economics. In: The Economics of Addictive Behaviours Volume IV. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62536-2_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62536-2_7
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