From Nutrients to Nurturance: A Conceptual Introduction to Food Well-Being

TLDR

The FWB framework expands the definition of food and calls for interdisciplinary research across marketing and beyond. The authors propose shifting from a “food as health” paradigm to “food as well‑being,” introducing food well‑being (FWB) as a positive psychological, physical, emotional, and social relationship with food at individual and societal levels, and call for further research to refine its domains. The authors define and explain the five primary domains of FWB: food socialization, food literacy, food marketing, food availability, and food policy.

Abstract

The authors propose a restructuring of the “food as health” paradigm to “food as well-being.” This requires shifting from an emphasis on restraint and restrictions to a more positive, holistic understanding of the role of food in overall well-being. The authors propose the concept of food well-being (FWB), defined as a positive psychological, physical, emotional, and social relationship with food at both individual and societal levels. The authors define and explain the five primary domains of FWB: food socialization, food literacy, food marketing, food availability, and food policy. The FWB framework employs a richer definition of food and highlights the need for research that bridges other disciplines and paradigms outside and within marketing. Further research should develop and refine the understanding of each domain with the ultimate goal of moving the field toward this embodiment of food as well-being.