Food and health: Expanding the agenda for health psychology

In this article I consider the changing context and constitution of food in contemporary society, and the variety of ways it is bound up in health, identity and social relations. In particular, I briefly discuss the position of food in health, illness, embodiment, and the ways that food is becoming increasingly medicalized and politicized. I suggest that the treatment of food in health psychology research has frequently been overly simplistic, and argue that we need to take greater account of the complexity of food and its intricate relations to health and illness in our research if we are to investigate this topic comprehensively, and seek to contribute to better understandings and outcomes for people.