Several recent studies have argued that eating is an automatic behavior triggered by environmental cues -- cues which most people are either unaware of or unable to ignore. Researchers behind the theory contend that to make Americans eat more healthily, the environment needs to be changed.
According to this theory, eating is an automatic behavior that has little to do with choice, willpower or even hunger. Laws regulating portion size, labeling or the places where food can be sold or eaten might therefore be more effective means of combating overeating than current methods.