ABSTRACT
Most people make many choices regarding their eating and exercise behaviors every day. When they awake, they must decide whether to eat breakfast, what to eat, and how much to eat. Then they have to decide whether to walk, bike, or take the car to work. Should they pack walking shoes or exercise clothes, or are they not going to exercise that day? There are multiple decisions regarding eating snacks, meals, and activity plans throughout the day that involve such factors as relative preferences for and access to the alternatives. Behavioral economics provides a comprehensive methodological and conceptual approach to studying choices of what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat, as well as whether to be active, what type of activity, at what intensity, and for what duration (Epstein, 1995).
