ABSTRACT
Food choice is based on a number of physiological, nutritional, financial, socio-cultural and environmental factors internal or external to the individual. As has been discussed in several of the preceding chapters, perhaps the most essential internal factor that influences peoples food intake is habits and the sensory qualities of food, as these are critical to dietary preferences, and taste in particular may be the most immediate determinant important when choosing food. Concern about food choices that may have adverse effects on health has been at the forefront of public health for decades. Research involving three-year-old twins living in the same household was undertaken to assess the relative importance of socio-cultural, environmental and inherited influences on preferences for 114 foods. It was found that both socio-cultural and genetic influences were significant for all food groups. To link a genetic influence to food intake and weight gain was not supported, except partly in relation to the liking of the food.
