How to Eat Well at Every Age

Eating well should be easy. But so often it is not. How to Eat Well at Every Age provides practical tips based on psychological theory and evidence to enable people of every age to eat well and build a good relationship with food. Eating well is key to how we interact with others, manage our emotions and our sense of wellbeing. The book describes how we can help others and ourselves to eat well across the lifespan, from good food parenting as our children are growing up, to eating well as an adult when the food environment can seem to be against us, to caring for the needs of people as they age. It describes how we learn what food we like and how our eating habits develop. It explores how parents can help their child eat well through good food parenting and the key pillars of being a good role model, saying the right things and managing their environment. It then covers how to eat well as an adult in terms of eating less to lose weight (without doing harm) or changing engrained habits to eat more healthily in general. Finally, it explores how eating well can be key to looking after ourselves or others as they age when living independently or in residential care. This book is for anyone who wants a healthy relationship with food, for themselves or those they care for. It is also valuable reading for students studying child development, nutrition, dietetics, catering, physical health, social care, nursing and psychology.

Jane Ogden is a Professor in Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK. She has published over 280 research papers and 9 books, including 4 specifically on eating behaviour. She has taught modules of eating behaviour for over 35 years to psychology, medical, nutrition, dietetic and vet students.

Who Am I and Why Am I Giving You This Advice? Introduction Section 1: Setting the scene for eating well at every age Chapter 1. What is eating well? Chapter 2. Why do we eat what we eat? Section 2: Childhood - giving your child the best start Chapter 3. How can I be a good food parent? Chapter 4. What should I do if my child eats too much or too little? Chapter 5. What should I do if my child has poor body image and spends too much time of their phone? Section 3: Adulthood - having a good relationship with food Chapter 6. Why is losing weight so hard? Chapter 7. How can I change what I eat? Chapter 8. How do I eat well as an adult? Section 4: Eating well to promote wellbeing in later life Chapter 9. How does the role of food change in later life? Chapter 10. How can we ensure people eat well as they age? Concluding Comments Recipes Resources and Connections