[The formation of eating behavior]

Food behaviour involves the totality of the actions of man which aim at satisfying his nutritional need. It is based on psychical reflection, decision and assessment processes. Food behaviour has social and historical determinants and forms accordingly to the dialectic relation of biological, social and economic conditions. Hunger, thirst and appetite are perceived as nutritional need which results from the requirements of energy, nutrients and liquid, and is satisfied by the food behaviour in conformity with the actual material potential, situational influences, subjective ideas, interests, attitudes and knowledge as well as other psychical properties. Consequently, food behaviour is rich in variations with dynamic and conservative features. Motives as well as will components are essential constituent conditions of food behaviour. For this reason, empirical studies arteo provide psychological cognition concerning the subjective reflection of the nutritional requirements, the requirement-standard integration, the sensation of stimulation and the decision-making in food behaviour, the ultimate goal being to deduce measures for food behaviour guidance.