Psychological is a major factor influencing on our food selection and they may include values, attitudes, emotions, experiences and self concept. From memory, when I am unhappy or in an emotional state, I have a habit of stuffing my face with ice-cream. I was sitting on a bench waiting for my brother after school and I was really upset he was late to pick me up as i have always been afraid of being alone. A teacher had saw me crying so he stopped to see if I was alright, he then mentioned to me that when he was unhappy, he would go and eat something sweet to make him feel happy.

Afterwards, it has become a habit of my own; however, due to my self-consciousness of my weight, I had changed that habit to taking my frustration out in the gym. From this experience I have understood that food creates a feeling of warmth and your mind can strongly influence what you put in your mouth.

Food has always been socially recognised and has influenced food selections in various ways including factors such as culture, traditions, lifestyle, employment, education, geographic location and peers. During times of illness, it has been a cultural tradition to eat more porridge and soup as it was believed to be the best cure because when you are sick, you tend to not want to eat proper foods and since porridge and soup is a liquid substance, it is easily digested and swallowed.

Also, in previous years living in rural areas was a disadvantage as when the fruit and vegetables had arrived, they were not considered fresh, however not long, transportation became more efficient and products were fresh. I grew up in a small town so food selection was limited; however technology today has advanced so incredibly, when you walk down to the supermarkets, there is a wide range of foods to choose from.