Obesity and Obstetrics (Second Edition) - Chapter 29: Eating behavior and lifestyle issues in women—implications for obesity development and prevention

Eating behaviors and other lifestyle habits have a major role to play in optimizing the health (and obesity control) of women. Wider sociocultural influences of income, gender, employment, ethnicity, marital status, as well as parenting will have lifelong influences on eating behaviors alongside the efforts of the food industry to promote consumption. Individual-level influences, including many psychosocial factors, will impact on immediate health behaviors, and intervention programs need to embrace factors such as access, perceived control, and social support as well as educational initiatives to help women achieve healthy lifestyles.