Some people see food as nourishment, fuel for the body, a way to keep you going through the day. These people can take or leave food, they stop when they are full and tend to think about other things unless they are hungry.
These people are in the minority.
When we are small we are given food as a treat, a reward for good behaviour, something to make us feel better. As we grow up we tend to treat ourselves in the same way. Food for many people is a relationship fraught with friction and guilt and when I was working in a detox centre I realised how many men and women are afflicted with food guilt and unhealthy eating patterns.
I am not going to touch on the more well known eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) in this post, although they are an area which I feel strongly about after working with people and friends who have suffered. I am going to focus here on overeating. Many people who are overweight suffer from thyroid problems or imbalances in the body, I am not focusing on that group of people in this post.
The most common eating disorder in my opinion, is binge eating. I find it hard to believe that this is taken less seriously than other disordered eating. Obesity is a modern epidemic and this is rarely seen as an eating disorder, I believe it is. The thought process that goes hand in hand with binge eating is often one of guilt and control, fear and distraction.
Picture this...
Richard is sitting in his house feeling lonely and bored, he has eaten a healthy dinner and is sitting on the sofa. Work is not going well, his laptop sits in the corner of the room and it reminds him of how hopeless he feels at work recently. He throws a cushion on it, much better out of view. His thoughts now wander to his family, he has to go to a memorial at the weekend, he feels guilty as he does not want to go. He hates the questions that get asked about his work, he has to lie about it going well and his stupidly successful cousin will be there with his two point four clan, in their new BMW. The thought of his cousin makes him angry, jealous and then guilty. His cousin is a genuinely nice guy and often helps him with new business ideas and sometimes financially, this thought fills Richard with a pang of self hatred.
Richard feels hopeless, he feels angry that he feels hopeless. Now he is left with a deep feeling of unease. He feels annoyed with himself. He cannot sit still, he cannot even concentrate on the TV. He picks up a magazine and the images and words swim around the page as he thinks about how powerless he is in his life. It verges on panic.
Food! He will have some food.
Suddenly he has a purpose, what should he have? He could order a curry? Or a pizza?
The Pizza is finished. Oh. He goes to the cupboard, takes a six pack of Twix's out, eats three, shoves the wrappers in the pizza box and sits on the sofa feeling useless. He goes to bed with a full stomach and a feeling of guilt. He will go to the gym tomorrow, yeah, tomorrow he will be good.
I have worked with people who have become so full self loathing as they gain weight through this out of control binging that they feel too ashamed to meet old friends. They become insular, they want to go and sit on the sofa and feed their self loathing, be alone with the food, wallow in their guilt. As they gain weight they are afraid of what people will think. Their clothes feel horrible and nothing looks good.
Does this pattern sound familiar? Or have you seen a friend or family member display this type of overeating at some level? Comforting eating is surprisingly common and I think more people suffer from this than any other disordered eating. I wish doctors would take it more seriously when they see people who are quickly becoming overweight.
It can be tackled with nutritional advice so at least the sufferer is eating in a more balanced way and getting the nutrients they need. However, often the most benefit comes from having someone to talk to about their worries, once they are busy, feeling more successful and hopeful, their focus shifts and their eating habits naturally come back into balance. Binging can be controlled and does not have to last forever. It is a definate form of self harm and an addiction and therefore should be treated like one. However unlike other addictions, food is something you cannot give up, which is where nutritional advice can help with getting a balance.
If you or someone you know suffers from binge eating it is a good idea to seek help. Often it is just a period of feeling unsettled that will pass when the problem rectifies (break up comfort eating is a clichéd example of this). However many people would benefit from some form of counselling or at least talking to someone close to them about how they could get in charge of their habits and do something empowering to take charge of their life.
If you are worried about any sort of disordered eating, research can make you feel less lonely, the Internet is full of useful information, help and ways to get your body and life back in balance.
Feel free to email me any questions.
Josie
If your cravings feel more physical than psychological, take a look at this article on food cravings: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517172300.htm
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