Research

Adherence

Cultural norms prioritizing commensality, pleasure, and 'natural' food sourcing can act as protective factors against obesity by promoting mindful, socially-integrated eating behaviors, whereas rigid dieting and external pressure to overeat are identified as major obstacles to weight management.

If you are in a culture that values social eating and 'natural' foods, leverage this by focusing on the quality and social aspect of meals rather than strict calorie counting. Avoid rigid 'diets' which are culturally viewed as harmful; instead, prioritize seasonal, local foods and shared meals. Be aware that stress and social pressure can disrupt hunger cues, so practice mindful eating in social settings.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
The main themes identified were: (1) influence of commensality, social interactions, and pleasure from eating on eating behavior, (2) having a balanced and holistic approach to nutrition, (3) the role of environmental concerns in food consumption, (4) relationship with “natural” products (idealized) and food processing (demonized), (5) perceptions of weight status and management. Stress and difficulties in hunger cue discernment were viewed as important obstacles to weight management in both countries.
Maria Carlota Dao et al. · Nutrients · 2020

Why this rating

Qualitative study with small sample size (n=25) comparing two specific national cultures; lacks generalizability to other populations.

Source

Cultural Influences on the Regulation of Energy Intake and Obesity: A Qualitative Study Comparing Food Customs and Attitudes to Eating in Adults from France and the United States

Maria Carlota Dao et al. · Nutrients · 2020

DOI 10.3390/nu13010063

unknown · n=25Cited 28×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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