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.
Other health experts, however, say that defining obesity as an environmental issue implies that individuals can do little about it -- and after all, many individuals can lose or maintain weight in spite of environmental triggers.
Studies have shown that about 45 percent of daily human behavior is repetitious and unthinking, and that people tend to fall back on their habits, such as buying fast food, even when they intend to do otherwise. Other studies have shown a link between amount of food consumption and portion size, food visibility, and food proximity.