You do have a point here, but I don't think you're "spot on" regarding the motives.
Although I agree that "the ability to have the cake and eat it" (i.e. the gluttony motive) can be prevalent, I'd say that the most important factor is the conception of eating, not only as a physiological need, but as a social ritual.
My personal experience is that while I can (very) easily restrict calorie intake, I'm less inclined to do so with friends and colleagues when invited to share meals. Take a "protocol" such as the "Internet-popular" intermittent fasting; if I'm invited to lunch with colleagues and if my girlfriend wants to have dinner somewhere, my fasting period for the day will be seriously harder to achieve. I could juggle with the scheduled hours for the meals, but then I'd be "imposing". It's doable, but not something I actually want. I don't share that many meals, so I can be compliant with my diet; but this is just not true for many people.
Although I agree that "the ability to have the cake and eat it" (i.e. the gluttony motive) can be prevalent, I'd say that the most important factor is the conception of eating, not only as a physiological need, but as a social ritual.
My personal experience is that while I can (very) easily restrict calorie intake, I'm less inclined to do so with friends and colleagues when invited to share meals. Take a "protocol" such as the "Internet-popular" intermittent fasting; if I'm invited to lunch with colleagues and if my girlfriend wants to have dinner somewhere, my fasting period for the day will be seriously harder to achieve. I could juggle with the scheduled hours for the meals, but then I'd be "imposing". It's doable, but not something I actually want. I don't share that many meals, so I can be compliant with my diet; but this is just not true for many people.