Hunger, Famine and Eating Habits

Abstract

This paper explores how hunger and famine affect various eating habits, including commensal relations within households, shared attitudes toward eating with unfamiliar people, and typical ways of expressing appetite. Drawing on data collected from 124 societies worldwide, it provides a comparative perspective on the influence of food insecurity and nutritional stress on common, everyday eating habits. Analysis shows that chronic nutritional deficiencies and historical experiences with famine are associated with less inclusive, less amiable mealtime behaviors. Discussion offers explanations for the occasional persistence of such patterns despite ample food supply and considers the impact of nutrition alongside other factors likely to affect eating. The study concludes that, while the effects of hunger and famine considered individually appear moderate, their ubiquity attest to traumatic societal effects than often linger for generations despite consistent food availability and adequate nutrition.