Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food

by Rachel Herz

In Why You Eat What You Eat, acclaimed neuroscientist Rachel Herz examines the sensory, psychological, neuroscientific, and physiological factors that influence our eating habits. Herz, who’s been praised for her “ability to cite and explain academic studies in a conversational manner” (Washington Post), uncovers the fascinating and surprising facts that influence food consumption—such as why bringing reusable bags to the grocery store encourages us to buy more treats, how our beliefs can affect how many calories we burn, why TV influences how much we eat, and how what we see and hear changes how food tastes—and reveals useful techniques for improving our experience of food, such as how aromas can help curb cravings and tips on how to resist repeated trips to the buffet table.

Why You Eat What You Eat presents our relationship to food as a complicated recipe, whose ingredients—taste, personality, and emotions—combine to make eating a potent and pleasurable experience. Herz weaves curious findings and compelling facts into a narrative that tackles important questions, revealing how psychology, neurology, and physiology shape our relationship with food, and how food alters the relationship we have with ourselves and each other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Science, Health, Psychology, Self Help, Nutrition

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 26, 2017

About the author

Rachel Sarah Herz is both a psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist, and recognized expert on the psychology of smell. (Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Michelle Curie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Knowledge of how our mind and body are affected by our food choices, and how our senses and psychology alter our experience of food and the consequences of eating, is power."

We've all got eating habits that might be more or less weird - some of us are picky eaters, others just can't stop binging, another group loves indulging in so-called comfort foods. Why You Eat What You Eat is a scientific exploration of how and why we form those habits. I received an advanced copy of this book, so I didn't know much about what it was about beforehand, but what awaited me was a surprisingly fun and informational study of why we eat what we eat.



Rachel Herz explains in a conversational way how our senses, mind and environment impact our experience of food as well as our motivation to eat. Some of it are just fun facts resulting from various studies she bases her theories on, like one which showed that the more hot sauce men had with their food, the higher their testosterone levels were (or the higher testosterone levels drove men to want more hot sauce, depending on how you interpret the results). It's interesting, as this shows that a hormone which is "unrelated to taste but is related to one's masculinity and personality affects one's liking for and use of hot pepper".

"Loud noise changes our taste perception differently as a function of what the particular taste is."

Some of the studies she uses as examples are questionable, like a survey that found out that 70 percent of people linked yellow food to happy thoughts. It's not an outrageous claim, but the fact that this study was sponsored by a company selling eggs should make you a little sceptic. She does state these things as part of her interpretation though, but it's still a good reminder that not all studies' results are to be trusted unconditionally.

There's a large part dedicated to the relation between weight and food. There are hints and pieces of advice dropped here and there and while all of it makes sense within the given contexts, I don't actually feel like the book needed those little bits where it felt like a guide to weight management. I guess it's just me though and that it is a chapter that will draw most people to this book, and it elaborates on some curiosities that I enjoyed reading about:

"How much we eat is guided by how many calories we think we're consuming, more than by the physical sensation and energy obtained from the food we're ingesting. We don't pay all that much attention to our body's physiological signals and it takes a while before they are triggered by what we're eating."

All in all, this was a quick and diverting read that I would recommend to people who are interested in exploring the relationship people have with food and why we form them. Food is more than just what's on the plate, after all.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a completely different book to the diet/healthy eating books I've been reading as it focuses on our taste buds and the way in which people can be given a food and one will love the taste and the other hate it. 

It's an interesting insight on why we do what we do when it comes to food. I enjoyed the case studies such as Stan and inability to smell properly. It's a fairly easy to read book. Overall it's not a bad book. 

Free arc from netgalley

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Also published on the bellevuefarmersmarket.org/blog.)

When British mountaineer George Mallory was asked by a journalist, "Why did you want to climb Mt. Everest?" Mallory famously replied, "Because it's there." I feel like, for many of us, Why We Eat What We Eat might be summed up just as succinctly. Why did I finish everything on my plate, even though I wasn't hungry anymore? Because it was there. Why did I have a second cookie? Ditto. That handful of peanuts? Ditto ditto.

Rachel Herz gets more scientific in her book, and much of it you've probably heard before:

(1) we've evolved to prefer sweet and fatty because those give the biggest caloric bang for the buck;
(2) sugar, chocolate and spicy foods have mood-boosting, painkilling benefits;
(3) flavors experienced in utero and early on with happy associations become preferred;
(4) mindful eating can help us consume less and increase satisfaction;
(5) using smaller plates makes the servings look more abundant; and
(6) our sense of smell declines as we age, which is why, if you have the misfortune to eat at an old folks' home, the food often seems "too salty."

But there was plenty that was less familiar and quite interesting, like studies showing that we can fool our palates with aromas. Waft vanilla aroma over us, and whatever we're consuming is perceived as sweeter and creamier! Similarly, bathe us in a bacon scent, and the food will be perceived as up to 40% saltier. How has no one come up with the Aromatherapy Diet yet, if you've been told to cut back on sugar, salt, or fat?

Or how about putting the marijuana munchies to good use? Herz notes a study of severe anorexics that found the "cannabis compound dronabinol, which is also used to help patients with HIV and cancer combat appetite and weight loss, led to modest weight gain in as little as a week, and consistently increased appetite and weight gain for the four weeks that the study lasted" (loc 1146).

For the greater percentage of us, however, attempting to gain weight is not the problem, but rather the opposite. There's hope here, too. Who knew that, among rats at least, "merely sniffing grapefruit aroma can suppress weight gain"? Eating the fruit works too, a half at every meal, but they aren't the most portable of fruits, so the aroma possibility tantalizes. Same goes for the scent of olive oil. Adding olive oil aroma extract to plain lowfat yogurt was found to be "remarkably appetite-curbing"--maybe because that sounds so unappetizing that you're put off your food for a few hours... But it does seem to fool your brain into thinking you've had a fattier food, leading to increased feelings of fullness.

But say you find yourself at your desk at 3 pm, dreaming of the donuts on the conference room table. Apparently, taking a big whiff of something totally unrelated to food can bump your brain out of that track and help you resist a craving. At last--something to do with that Yankee Candle your mother-in-law gave you (unless she gave you a sweet, food flavor)!

Herz also discusses how things like sound and color, temperature and texture affect our perceptions of taste. Basically, we have very fool-able brains and should take full advantage, for our dietary benefit. Never mind labeling foods "lowfat" or "healthy" or even "organic"--that makes us more likely to overeat or to cheat elsewhere. But if we're told something is indulgent or extra-rich, our body speeds up our metabolism, whether the item really was as advertised or not.

It's a lot of info, but it would be fun to experiment with friends and family members, and Herz does offer helpful tips for various conditions like picky eaters, the eating disordered, and the smell-impaired. I would have loved some "For this outcome, try this!" charts, but that's just a quibble. If you like reading about food and our perceptions, I recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

[Cady Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was turned onto this book when it was recommended in Martha Stewart Living magazine. I was interested in it because the synopsis talked about learning about connections with our food and habits, such as: why people who bring cloth grocery bags are more likely to buy treats at the grocery store. Instead of learning about more interesting connections like that, the first 7 chapters felt like a recap of stuff I already know, for example: put food on a smaller plate to eat less (our portion sizes are out of control and we can’t tell the difference, yadda, yadda...), smell is a big part of taste, sounds and ambiance impact how you eat, pace, chew more and slow down to eat less, etc.

The style of writing was monotonous which made it hard for me to get past 5 chapters. Here is how every chapter goes:
1. Seemingly Crazy Bonkers example
2. Actually, it’s a fact! Discuss obscure study #1
3. Obscure Study #2
4. Add another 4 studies...
5. Recap

Two stars because I did learn a couple new things post chapter 7, but after chapter 5 I had to force myself to keep going.

[Hannah Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a glutton for this food knowledge! Who knew a book on the sensory and psychological reasonings for our eating habits could be so fascinating? I have been sharing tidbits from this book to anyone willing to listen (my apologies if you, like my dad, could care less).

Did you know…?

Your mood can change your perception of how sweet or sour something tastes. Researchers did a study at Cornell University where they asked fans after Cornell hockey games if they would taste test a lemon-lime sorbet. Happy fans reported that the sorbet tasted sweeter and unhappy fans reported it tasting more sour. This is due to an increase of serotonin when happy or noradrenaline when depressed, and both altar taste perception.

Rituals increase food pleasure. They make us more mindful of what we are eating. That’s probably why I think Shamrock Shakes taste so good. I make special excursions to McDonald’s every March. Once I tried to reenact a Shammy Shake run with a friend in October. We were going to get a vanilla shake and add peppermint extract. Didn’t work. Do not attempt. It didn’t help that they gave us a half-melted shake.

Non-food aromas can curb your food cravings. One tip the author gave was to “find a non-food odor you like but aren’t overly familiar with and then, at five in the afternoon when you’re daydreaming about donuts, whip out your aroma vial and interrupt those thoughts and get back to work.” (p. 123) The key is to distract yourself.

It’s cruel to read the sections about chocolate aloud to a friend who is attempting a chocolate fast.

Finally, I’m proud to say I didn’t eat a single donut while reading this book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at the psychology of food, from the importance of smell to color to culture. I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in the topic though it’s not the most user friendly of books.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The term ‘page turner’ is often used to describe a thriller; but in this case, I think that the term adequately describes “Why You Eat What You Eat”. Every page contained a nugget of information gathered from various universities’ social experiments. Food taste, texture, and smell are the determinants that come to mind when deciding what food to eat. But not as clear is the influence that experience, psychology, culture, and memory have on our food eating decisions. These and other proffered factors are greater food eating determinants than the first three primary factors mentioned. Indeed, these other factors program our reaction to the primary determinants. So, a page-turner? Yes! Every page read passed on new knowledge about eating decision-making.

In addition to drivers that shape our eating desires, the author, Doctor Rachel Herz, remarks on the influences that turn us off to eating. This isn’t a diet book, but finding ways to take advantage of eating turnoff factors will help dieters resist acting on their food cravings. These turn off drivers can be used to replace self-forbidden eating delicacies with the propulsion to eat healthier and less. My only criticism of this book is that the author did not spend more time addressing this subject.

It was interesting to note how important our early childhood was to shaping our approach to eating. Taste preferences begin in the womb base on our mother’s diet during pregnancy and continue developing based on the variety of foods offered us during infancy and toddlerhood. Scientific evidence indicates that early childhood preferences, and the experiences enjoyed during that period, are easily recalled later in life with just the odor of an early childhood favored food. I certainly can relate to this based on my experience with certain ‘comfort’ foods and others may have had similar experiences.

The food knowledge this book provided helped me understand my eating preferences. It also provided me with food eating trivia to share at family gatherings. Shared in a way to avoid singling people out or causing embarrassment, this shared knowledge helped share my new-found knowledge on ‘why we eat what we eat’.

Understanding food eating motivators is the primary benefit received from reading this book. I am now more aware of what drives me to eat certain foods and more attuned to my feeling of fullness. This new awareness has helped me deal with my overeating tendencies.

[Nya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been thinking about what to say about this book for a long time so!! while this book was very informative and interesting I don’t think it completely explored how food, and access to food, is a classist, social prestige ordeal and there are more factors that go into why someone eats the way they do than just biology???????? I feel like you can’t talk about food without qualifying the socio political barriers alongside food choices;;;;It just felt like there was a huge part of the book that was missing

[Purvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this book knew what it wanted to be — science, case studies, sociology/anthropology, or weight loss guide. It’s full of interesting tid bits and reports on food-related studies, but lacks a punchline or synthesis of the information presented. As a result, it felt disjointed and then seemed to end abruptly.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about the science of how your senses and other external factors influence the foods you eat and their quantity. I listened to it on audio but found myself wondering if the print version might be better since there was so much information here that might warrant revisiting.

[Lexie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food connects us, it is love, and it is life. Very good read, learned a lot about food that I had no idea about before from color to taste, to how to enjoy vs why we eat comfort food, and more. If you are interested in the interworkings of why we eat what we eat, roll credits, then you should read this!

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about neurogastronomy, which is a field of study that looks at how our brain and its processing of sensory information affects our experience with food.

It's filled with a lot of interesting tidbits like coke is rated as tasting better when the can is labeled coke as opposed to having a generic label, even professional wine tasters can be duped into rating the same exact white wine differently by the addition of red food coloring, and the shape, color, and size of your plate can affect how your food tastes and how much you eat.

Many of my clients/patients have an unhealthy or adversarial relationship with food. So for me, exploring the food experience from a neurogastronomy perspective is helpful. Additionally, being a brain science junkie, I found the information to be fascinating, even if not all the material was completely new. In fact, she references Brain Wansink's research frequently, and having already read his book Mindless Eating, some of the material I've seen before. Still there was enough new stuff to keep me engaged.

Definitely a fun read for any foodie.

[Jason Pym · Rating 5 out of 5]

The psychology of food, especially as it relates to obesity.

The only downside is the book is American focused, so while obesity is a world-wide problem, the descriptions of average American meals - highly processed fast food in vast quantities, nuggets, coke, popcorn - is a little alien. But where I live (China), there's the same problem with processed food, and even if the food appears different (instant noodles, processed spicy snacks), the problems and ingredients are the same - unhealthy amounts of salt and sugar, reconstituted corn syrup. Just takes a bit of translation.

A lot I'd heard before, but also some interesting new things, (enough that this is a book I'll reread - hence the five stars):

People who like sweet foods tend to have 'sweet' (kind, patient, generous) personalities, people who like bitter foods tend to be bitter people.

Depression makes you unable to detect the fat content in food. Fatty food triggers serotonin release, but this is dulled in the depressive state (also explains the connection between depression and over-eating).

The custom of pregnant women eating clay is to make up for calcium deficiency, it also helps fight parasites (it has 'anti-microbial properties,' not sure how this works) which is why it is more commonly seen in hot areas.

Picky eaters are more likely to have been formula - not breast - fed.

A diet high in trans fats (unnatural fats, as found in processed foods) in early life leads to permanent olfactory and neurological damage.

Loud noises make things taste less sweet, conversely round shapes increases perceived sweetness (in Western cultures).

[Joy]

I got 25% in and couldn’t take anymore. It’s not so much a book as a full-on assault of facts about food and eating. It’s like you’re under fire while you’re trying to take in a book. It reminded me of Why We Sleep, in that same way. I decided to stop trying to go farther.

[Marieke Toet Møller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Har jeg lært noget af denne bog? Helt klart. Jeg føler, at jeg har fået så meget ny viden, og jeg elsker at bruge denne viden. Mens jeg læste bogen, har jeg været frygtelig irriterende at være sammen med, fordi jeg hele tiden lige skulle fortælle om et eller andet nyt, jeg havde lært. Helt enkelt, så havde jeg lært så meget nyt, at jeg ikke kunne holde det inde.

Bogen er fyldt med diverse studier, der er med til at underbygge hendes teorier. Hun bruger også eksempler med enkelte personer, hvem hun også referere til gennem hele bogen, så der er noget, der går igen og bringer bogen sammen.

Enten vidste jeg bare intet om mad, eller også er bogen bare propfyldt med med ny viden. For hver eneste side har jeg lært mindst én ny ting. Vidste du, at studier viser, at det at kunne lide sødt gør en til et sødere menneske? Hvis man har ondt, så skal man bare dufte til noget sødt?

Det er interessant, hvordan jeg har fået lyst til at teste en masse af den nye viden. Kan farven på skålen noget er serveret i få maden til at ændre smag? Jeg har lært, hvordan smag ikke bare er smag, men faktisk er en kombination af flere ting gennem flere sanser.

Men selvom bogen er noget så fantastisk i forhold til alle de nye fakta og tips og trick, jeg har lært, så var der også steder i bogen, hvor den godt kunne hen og blive lidt tung. Det kunne være på grund af de mange nye oplysninger eller de mange nye og faglige ord, som godt kan blive meget (jeg læste bogen på engelsk, hvilket selvfølgelig gør disse fagord mere fremmede end de måske havde været på dansk). Det var også mest de første kapitler, der gjorde mest indtryk. De sidste var for tunge og uinteressante for mig, hvor jeg ikke længere følte, at jeg kunne tage mere ind.

Bogen er specielt interessant i forhold til, hvordan mennesket fungerer, og jeg tror ikke på, at man kan læse bogen uden at lære noget nyt. For jeg har i den grad lært noget.

We will learn how scents change the way foods taste, how music and color alter our perception of wine, how visual illusions can determine both how much food we put on our plate and how fast we consume it, and why so many people order tomato juice on airplanes.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept behind 'Why You Eat...' is really interesting, and there's some good takeaways and facts that would interest most people. I feel like I learned a few new things about food, and the reasons behind why we eat.

My biggest critique is the narrator - her voice was robotic and monotone. A lack of inflection made this audiobook difficult to get through in points. While I realize this book was written from a scientific perspective, I feel like the message was lacking in its delivery.

I'd definitely recommend this book to people interested in their health and wanting to learn more about the 'behind the scenes' reasons that humans make the food choices they do. But if nonfiction isn't your thing, take a pass...

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been spoiled. I started reading this kind of non-fiction by reading Mary Roach, who knows how to keep simple minds like mine engaged with and antidotes and wittiness while still teaching me good stuff. Nope, not joking about a simple mind. It was hard to stick with the first two chapters, the one about fats could have been longer and give way more information since we've all been told so many different facts about fats in general. Smell was interesting but overall the book was peaks and valleys of attachment for me. I liked reading about how I'm tricked or not tricked into eating or wanting foods. Yes, I did learn a few things and I'm pleased I read it. I just wouldn't call this a breezy, fun read but you will learn.

[Iva]

Ako vas zanima kako druga osjetila (od glazbe do boje tanjura), reklame, rana iskustva s hranom, društvo za stolom, riječi kojima se hrana opisuje (i još mnogo toga) utječu na naš doživljaj okusa i apetit, čini mi se kao solidan uvod. Naravno, ne znam koliko su opsežna i pouzdana sva brojna navedena istraživanja, ali s popularnoznanstvenim knjigama zapravo rijetko pouzdano znaš koliko je ono što čitaš općeprihvaćeno među stručnjacima, a koliko je tek jedna od teorija/struja. Uz napomenu da autorica (po meni nepotrebno, nespretno i povremeno neukusno) pokušava rezultate istraživanja preoblikovati također u savjete za mršavljenje, odnosno konzumaciju manjeg broja kalorija. Opet dostupno besplatno na Plus Catalogueu njemačkog Audiblea.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

So in terms of content, I would rank this book a 5-star text. But I was very frustrated at the beginning. I found three typos in the first 50 pages (I really thought Norton was better than that) AND a table in the first chapter would have been so incredibly helpful. As Herz describes the "Fab 4" and the not-official categories (umami, fat, calcium and spice) there are a lot of assumptions about what qualifies as an official "category." I would have loved to see all those elements in a table to better understand how each fit into these (pH, mouthfeel, etc.).

I loved learning that I was a super taster, that sweet vanilla-caramel smells can serve as a pain management tool, that my sense of smell was essential to my experience of food. Great content, but mildly lacking execution.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting book about people’s relationships with food. It talks about how what we eat changes our mood, our perceptions of things, and our bodies. The book delves into societal influences on what, how much, how frequently, and our enjoyment of foods. I wish the author had talk more about how to combat those subconscious pressures. It is touched upon and I know spending more time on that would have changed this book from science to self help but it was more of what interested me. Overall, a good read with interesting and useful information. Worth reading!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

#readingwomenreadingchallenge prompt 21: book about food
Very interesting book this was.
I feel quite foolish and marginally duped for how easily we are conned into taste experiences and emotions.
Herz does well to include so much information in a way that feels accessible and easily consumed (yes, I see what I did).
I'm certainly going to be more aware oh what I eat and why. This is one of those books that I want to have a hardcopy version of to dip back in randomly, and to look specific bits up again.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Herz unravels the delights, temptations, savoriness, and charms of food. She reveals why we eat as we do and in what quantity, and how perfection and framing affect food consumption choice. With half of the US adult population projected to become obese by 2030, this book also can serve as a wake up call for the excesses of food and the reasons we take in so much. A worthwhile read on the magical elixir of life: food glorious food.

[Sara Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for continuing education and learned a lot about both sensory overstimulation and deprivation and how it impacts our relationship to food. Also loved learning different strategies that others can use to improve their relationship to eating/food.

Super dry (as all academic heavy works are), but the amount of references to Brian Wansink’s work when he’s been “debunked” as manipulating a lot of data sets negatively or with significant bias really removes some of her credibility. Not to say all of his research is without merit, but not acknowledging this was mega oversight.

[Kai Fawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So worth the read. Fascinating, well-researched, and really, actually helpful to a slightly-more-than-layperson (especially one with well-established food issues). At multiple points I found myself commenting aloud (“huh! No way!”).

[Kelly Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting info here, but I have to admit my main takeaway was, "Man, there are a lot of studies in really minute trivia, aren't there!" Round plates make food taste sweeter, square plates make food saltier.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and well-researched. Now that I know a bit more behind the psychology of comfort food, maybe I will recognize the whys behind why I crave pizza, potato chips, garlic bread, chocolate, and soda/juice after a tough week. ;)

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. This book is not what you think it will be. It's a book about the brain. You never knew how literally everything around you affects the choices you make. You might think you know, but you don't! Every sense we have influences the eating experience (even when you're not conscious of or caring about the fact that your plate is red or a square, it's affecting how you perceive your dinner). All of the crazy and weird and interesting information in this book will increase your awareness of the sensory barrage our brain must contend with - it's a wonder we ever make a healthy choice! What you do with that increased awareness is up to you :)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book. I would have found a list of tips taken from the book, listed at the end, extremely helpful.

[Angel Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topics discussed in this book are interesting in itself, as food is one of the topics that most interest me as a person and I wish to learn more variables towards why we experience food the way we do. It provides an in-depth analysis of every aspect related to taste, sensation, and perception of food using studies and theories developed from doctors, chefs and psychologists. The only negative point for this book is that the information it contains can be a bit overwhelming therefore it leads to the reader experiencing boredom and confusion while they are reading.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all her books, so far, this one is my favorite. She is very, very interesting, writes very well, and it's not difficult as a layperson at all to figure out what she's saying.

Looking forward to new books from her !!!