Research paper
Rozin P. The meaning of food in our lives: a cross-cultural perspective on eating and well-being. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2005 Nov-Dec;37 Suppl 2:S107-12. doi:10.1016/s1499-4046(06)60209-1
Why we cite it
Argues that overweight and food anxiety result from an evolutionary mismatch between human biological predispositions (adapted to an environment in which ”foods were dispersed and energy expenditure was required to obtain them”; scarce removed 2026-09-10, as the abstract says dispersed) and the modern food environment (surplus, accessible, inexpensive, calorie-dense). Uses French–American comparisons to argue that cultural attitudes toward food — particularly whether the focus is on pleasure or health anxiety — shape eating behavior and outcomes.
About the author
Paul Rozin, PhD, is the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has been since 1963. His research covers the psychology of food, disgust, and cultural influences on eating, including cross-cultural food attitudes (especially French–American comparisons). (A leading researcher and widely cited removed 2026-09-10 as unsurveyed rankings.) He received the APA Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Psychology (2007) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also served as editor of the journal Appetite for approximately 10 years.