Eating Behaviours in Diverse Populations

Dear Colleagues,

Socio-cultural and diversity factors such as socioeconomic status, environmental influences, cultural norms, and ethnicity play a significant role in shaping and maintaining eating behaviours and food choices, which can often contribute towards excessive weight gain. They also add a level of complexity and affect not only what and how much people eat, but also how, when, and why they eat. The implications are vast, as they influence uptake, adherence, and overall success of dietary practices and intervention programmes. Positive psychology, and constructs such as mindfulness, mindful eating, and self-compassion, have shown promise in encouraging healthier eating behaviours. Research exploring diverse populations, including clinical groups, can offer significant insights into how these psychological strategies may moderate or enhance the impact of socio-cultural and diversity factors on eating behaviours.

With the goal to broaden our understanding of the complex psychological and socio-cultural influences on eating behaviours, and to inform effective, culturally sensitive strategies that promote healthier eating practices across diverse populations, this Special Issue welcomes theoretical/review contributions, as well as empirical studies including cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental designs. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, psychological interventions aimed at promoting healthier eating behaviours (e.g., mindfulness, mindful eating, gratitude, self-compassion, and acceptance) and the impact of socio-cultural factors in assessing eating patterns (e.g., cross-cultural differences in eating behaviours, minoritised groups and eating behaviours, and socio-economic status and eating behaviours), as well as eating behaviours in clinical groups (e.g., those with obesity or other chronic health conditions).

Dr. Misba Hussain
Dr. Michael Mantzios
Guest Editors

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