Socio-demographic Factors in Selected Eating Practices

Eating practices (EP) are important factors to consider in public health nutrition as people eat every day and throughout the day. Therefore, observing EP may give an idea of the nutritional status of individuals in the population. Indeed, certain EP may predict future health problems, such as high fast food consumption and obesity in certain developed countries. Other practices may be a form of prophylactic for certain diseases such as postulated in the French paradox. To this effect, studying EP within a population is complex due to the multiplicity of different factors which are involved in the process of choosing, acquiring, preparing and consuming food. While the number of non-communicable diseases is on the rise in many countries, there is an ever-growing need to gain information on the underlying nutritional causes to these diseases. In view of the fact that there is a dearth of literature pertaining to socio-demographic factors and EP in developing countries, this book therefore lay much emphasis on recent findings on this issue and explores the different eating practices in a multicultural and developing country like Mauritius.

Autorentext

Dr M. Fawzi Mahomoodally holds a PhD in Biochemistry. He has been working as a clinical studies manager for a CRO and is presently a full-time academic at the University of Mauritius. He is Editor of several peer-reviewed scientific journals. His research interest has been geared mainly towards alternative medicines and nutrition-related diseases.