14 FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR

Running head: FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
Food Nutrition and Behaviour
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
Introduction
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been used for explaining the nature of human
behaviour. However, TBP can also be used for explaining the food choices or dietary
behaviour of an individual or group of individuals. However, several arguments have been
put forward about the effectiveness of TBP in explaining the human food choices [1]. The
following assignment aims to highlight an alternative model for explaining the human food
choices while giving valid justification against the selection of that particular theory. The
following assignment will focus on the basic concept underlying the TPB followed by its
advantages and disadvantages. This will be followed by the critical analysis of the TPB in
order to understand how effective is the theory in explaining the human choices of food and
theory’s pitfalls in explaining the human food choices. This will be followed by the other
drives that modulate the process of the food selection. In the second half of the assignment,
the paper will highlight an alternative model for explaining the food choice followed by
critical analysis of the proposed model of food choice. Understanding the concept behind the
theory theories that guide the selection of food or the human food choice will help in
improving the overall level of adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines [2].
Critical Analysis of TPB
The initial name of TPB was Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) that was introduced
in 1980 in order to predict the intention of an individual to engage in a specific behaviour that
the particular to place and time. The theory was intended to explain all behaviours over which
an individual has the ability to execute self-control [3]. The principal component of this
model includes behavioural intent. The behavioural intensions are influenced by the attitude
about the probability that the particular behaviour will have the expected outcomes along

2FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
with the subjective evaluation of the risks and overall benefits of that outcome. TBP has six
constructs that collectively represent the person’s actual control over the behaviour [3].
Figure: Flow Chart of TPB
Source: [3]
TPB is used in order to ascertain and explain a diverse range of health behaviours like
smoking, drinking, eating, utilization of the health care services and substance abuse.
According to TBP, behavioural achievement depends on motivation (intention) and the
ability (behavioural control) [4]. TPB provide conceptual order that enables the policy
makers to highlight the substantive elements that drive the behaviour change in the eating
habits [5]. Systematic review and meta-analysis showed that the TBP variables have medium
to large associations with both the behaviour and intentions of the eating habits [5]. Attitudes
have strongest association with the intention followed by the perceived level of the
behavioural control and other subjective norms. Moderator analysis of the study revealed a
complex nature of the dietary habits. Higher level of perceived behavioural control (PBC)
were found for selecting compromising habits as opposed to the health promoting food
habits. Higher intention behaviour associations were highlighted in case of the older adults in

3FOOD NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR
comparison to the young adults [5]. The cross-sectional sample consisting of 455 pregnant
Australian women showed that perceived level of stress during pregnancy and in their
personal life, overall health value of life, self-identity influence the habit of healthy eating.
The findings of the study also revealed that the TBP framework help in explaining the
considerable variance in the intention of healthy eating during pregnancy [6]. The TBP also
fails to explain a little variance in the actual consumption of the food behaviour. Australian
Dietary Guidelines was used in order to assess the dietary intake of the pregnant women. The
researchers recommended for the use of the alternative behavioural framework, mainly those
that account for the automatic nature of the majority of the dietary choices [6]. TBP is also
helpful in explaining the variance in consuming insects based in the food-related intentions
and food behavior. The study also showed that it is the attitude that predicts the intentions
and intention is regarded as the main predictor towards consumption of insects-based food
products. Having faith on the positive effects of the surrounding health and environment
increase the intentions of consuming insect-based good [7]. In another study, neither the
descriptive norms nor perceived social support were helpful in predicting the intentions over
above the TPB variables. However, it was also noted that the perceived level of social
support was found to act as a moderator of the variable on the relationship between the
overall intention and the perceived behavioural control along with the relationship between
the attitude and the intention [4].
There are several limitations of the TPB. TPB does not account for other variables
that factor into the motivation and behavioural intention like fear, threat, mood or the past
experience. Emotional eating or binge eating behaviour is influence my mood like depression
and TBP fail to explain such exhaustive eating habits. Moreover, the young adults, especially
the girls avoid consuming sugar other fatty food and this is associated with fear of gaining
weight and not through other behavioural intentions and TPB also fail to explain this [4].