Gregory J. Privitera, Ph.D., is a Faculty Associate with Arizona State University and an Assistant Professor with Glendale Community College, where he teaches on topics in psychology and oversees laboratory research. Born in Buffalo, NY, and a veteran of the U.S. Marines, Dr. Privitera's work is focused on improving health through diet. His biography was recently published in the prestigious Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in 2007.

The Psychological Dieter explores a variety of research topics in psychology to explain how diet is acquired and why it is so difficult to change. While many healthier diets on the market will work, few (if any) will provide long-term solutions to healthier dieting. This is a key challenge for research psychologists who study diet and health. Based on scientific research and thinking, this book is one of the first to explore how psychology can help explain why shifting diet is so difficult and provides practical suggestions for what can be done to stop this trend. Professor Privitera integrates research from the biological to the behavioral to provide an easy to follow and broad review of these topics. The Psychological Dieter explores how factors such as metabolism, the brain, sensation, perception, learning, society, and culture all influence weight gain, food choice, meal size, and consumption. Organized into three sections, this book describes how the body regulates hunger and fullness, why diet change is so difficult long-term, and how learning can affect almost any sensation and behavior associated with diet. Rooted in scientific research and clearly written, this book's engaging style makes topics in psychology accessible to scientists, health professionals, and everyday dieters alike.

Part 1 Preface Part 2 Why We Feel Hungry and Full Chapter 3 Monitoring Calories Chapter 4 Storing and Using Calories Chapter 5 Learning about Hunger and Fullness Part 6 Why Dieting Is So Difficult Chapter 7 The Pleasure Centers Chapter 8 Innate Likes and Dislikes Chapter 9 Mere Exposure Learning Part 10 Learning and Diet Acquisition Chapter 11 Flavor Aversion Learning Chapter 12 Flavor Reinforcement Learning Chapter 13 Sociocultural Factors in Eating Part 14 Index Part 15 About the Author