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Obesity and Food Decisions Through the Lens of Prospect Theory

Date
August 12, 2026
Time
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
Promotional webinar flyer for “Obesity and Food Decisions Through the Lens of Prospect Theory,” inviting attendees to a live online Zoom event on August 12, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET. The design features a red left panel with the headline “Join us live” and the question: “How do daily food and health decisions shape obesity, health behaviours, and wellbeing across different weight trajectories?” The right panel lists the date, time, Zoom location, registration instructions with a QR code, and the registration URL. Toronto Metropolitan University and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity & Community Wellbeing logos appear at the bottom.
Location
Zoom
Open To
Open to the Public
Accessibility
To ensure full participation, please email any specific accessibility needs—such as sign language interpretation, or captioning, among others. While we are committed to meeting all accessibility needs to the best of our ability, there may be circumstances where certain requests cannot be fully accommodated; in such cases, we will work with you to find appropriate alternatives.
Contact
cerc.healthwellbeing@torontomu.ca
Register for Obesity and Food Decisions Through the Lens of Prospect Theory (external link) 

Obesity and Food Decisions Through the Lens of Prospect Theory

Join the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing (HECW) for a virtual public lecture featuring Dr. Raul Sampieri Cabrera and Dr. Gustavo López Toledo. Together, they will explore how individuals with different weight trajectories make food-related and health-related decisions, and what these decision-making processes reveal about obesity, health behaviours, and wellbeing.

This event is free and open to the public.

Abstract

How do people make decisions about food and health, and why do those decisions often differ from what traditional models of rational choice would predict?

Drawing on a qualitative study of 80 adults across four weight categories, this presentation examines food-related and health-related decision-making through the lens of Prospect Theory. Using in-depth interviews, seven-day food decision diaries, and experimental risk-choice tasks, the study investigates how perceptions of risk, reward, loss, and gain influence everyday health behaviours.

The findings reveal distinct decision-making patterns shaped not only by cognitive biases, but also by personal identity, social relationships, cultural influences, and experiences of stigma. Rather than being purely rational, food and health decisions are deeply embedded in lived experience and broader social contexts.

By highlighting the complex interplay between decision-making processes and everyday life, this presentation offers new insights for developing more effective, equitable, and person-centred approaches to obesity prevention, health promotion, and intervention.

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