Complete 7 page APA formatted essay: Why certain foods are considered comfort foods. Do you have any comforting favorites What about friends/family What do these foods have in common Do they provide c

Complete 7 page APA formatted essay: Why certain foods are considered comfort foods. Do you have any comforting favorites What about friends/family What do these foods have in common Do they provide comfort Why Is there a scientific or physiological basis for the comfort.

Different scholars concur to this behavior of people turning to comfort foods, and advance that most of these foods contain high levels of sugars and fats, thus offering temporary psychological enhancement. Comfort foods differ from one individual to the other in relation to preferences. For instance,

they may be spicy, sugary, or aromatic. These foods are comparable in their functions as nostalgic, mood setting and familiar favorites. Since comfort foods are defined by culture, individual preferences, and other intrinsic factors, this essay examines the various aspects that influence the preference and practice of consuming comfort foods.

The most common aspect of comfort foods is that they all have a psychological effect on the consumer, evoking feelings of contentment, wellbeing, and comfort (Locher, Yoels and Mauner 273). Another uniting factor is that comfort foods are familiar dishes, which remind people of particular incidences or experiences, for instance the culinary skills of a mother, grandmother, spouse, or friend, or a favorite restaurant. In view of this, comfort foods are eaten to attain a degree of enhanced emotional status. Four major categories of comfort foods exist, depending on the function they play on the person consuming them or the significance placed on them by a given culture. The categories include nostalgic cooking, fast foods, indulgence or pleasure foods, and physical comfort foods (Locher, Yoels and Mauner 273).

The majority of comfort foods are consumed when an individual needs comfort in changing times, for instance after undertaking strenuous work, on a cold drizzly afternoon, or when faced by difficulties such as a heartbreak, or the demise of a loved one. Due to the significance people place on comfort foods, these foods have the ability to lessen pressure, restore mental calm, and bring out a sense of security and with wellbeing. The most common comfort dishes are consumed