Loretta follows the pineapple diet, George needs to monitor his cholesterol levels, Mary has become a vegan, Frank suffers from coeliac disease, Rakid respects the precepts of his religion, Cynthia eats only organic food (as long as the workers involved earn fair wages). In such fragmented circumstances, which we all experience in everyday life, it has become difficult to share the same meal. Fruitarians, vegans, raw foodists, and devotees of macrobiotics are just some of the varieties of eaters we can encounter. How has our relationship with food evolved over time? And what do our eating choices say about us?

Nicoletta Cavazza teaches Social Psychology and Psychology of Persuasion at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Margherita Guidetti teaches Social Psychology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.