I'm pretty positive
that if I said that America is the most obese country in the world, it would
not come as a surprise to anyone. I'm also sure that if I said that our
portions are out of control, we are surrounded by tempting food advertisements
and we no longer eat to fulfill hunger, most of you would agree. Well, we
individually can not change the portions we get when we order at a restaurant
or the food commercials and shows that we see on the TV. However, we CAN
control our own eating habits.
Clinical
psychologist Jean Kristeller started a
program called Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training to
help binge eaters develop mature eating habits. It is important to strengthen and draw attention to mindful habits because the problem that many people face is that we are not aware of our overeating until the "food coma" hits. Some Mindful Habits are being
aware of hunger, chewing food slowly, tuning in to taste, noticing fullness,
and being aware of negative emotions, cravings and impulsivity.
Kristeller stresses eating to satisfy hunger
and stopping once that is completed. It is proven that our taste buds get tired
after the first few bites and after
eating large amounts of food, we no longer
taste the food to its fully capacity anymore. Once we become aware of this, we can learn to
leave food on the plate when the taste no longer satisfies us. This technique
can help us deal with the large portions we are served at restaurants. Since
Kristeller's program does not put any particular food in an "off-limits" category,
this technique will also allow us to enjoy a few bites of chocolate cake, for
example, but then put it down and walk away. Another valuable technique is
chewing slowly which helps us to realize when we are full and stop so we do not
go beyond that point. Remember, eating food is about quality not quantity.
Kristeller also puts
a great emphasis on getting out of the routine of eating. She states that, "We eat when it's time
to eat, when food is put in front of us or because we need to handle feelings
of anger, anxiety, depression or simple boredom ". We wake up in the
morning and make breakfast regardless of what time you wake up at or if you are
even hungry or not. Another bad habit is eating while watching TV, doing
homework or surfing the internet. While eating, our body must be our main
focus. We need to close ourselves off from distractions so we do not
accidentally over eat. For those of us you "eat our emotions", a good
technique to control this is meditation. By calming our mind, we become les
stressed and can zone in on our priorities and tasks at hand.
So….. How do you
control binge eating? What do you think of these techniques? What other
exercises can you think of to control overeating? When do you find yourself
overeating? Why do you find yourself bingeing? Are these practices enough to
positively affect the obesity epidemic?
I definitely agree with this article that re-learning how to eat can improve our diet! We are all guilty of eating when we’re bored. When we’re watching a movie or realize its noontime, we automatically think we should be eating, because it’s just the thing to do. However, it is important to recognize that we should only eat when our bodies require food; otherwise we could be harming our body, instead of helping it. In an interview done by the Wall Street Journal with author David Kessler, the writer states that people often eat because food happens to be front of them. The mini-highs we get from indulging in our favorite snack, that are in fact loaded with sugar, carbs, fat, and salt, harm us in the long run. This ‘reward based eating’ simply occurs because we are prompted by a stimulus. Therefore, the way to combat the epidemic of binge eating is all in our minds—we must take power away from our stimulus. This temptation takes form in different ways for different people. However, we all must decide in our individual minds that mini-highs are not rewarding, but a healthily functioning body is. By re-teaching our mind that eating healthy is beneficial, and eating snacks and sweets is detrimental, we may be one step closer to combat overeating.
ReplyDeletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB124084009832659309.html.
I agree that controlling our eating habits is pivotal to becoming healthier individuals, along with a healthier nation. Instinctively, we over eat because in our primal stage, humans didn't know when they were going to get their next meal. If the food was in front of them, they were going to eat as much as they could just in case the weather or other outside forces kept them from hunting later on in the day. Since it's been hundreds of years since then, we should try to remember that the same pasta we have for dinner at night will be there in the fridge as a leftover the next day.
ReplyDeleteI believe another large problem with health in America is that everyone has to take dieting to the extreme. There are "banana diets", "vinegar diets", "spice diets", and the list goes on. When people focus themselves so greatly on eating 8 bananas a day or drinking vinegar after every meal, they lose interest quickly as dieting becomes a chore. As soon as these diets end, the weight comes back and there was no real progress made. If America wants to lose weight, we simply have to make healthier choices and be conscious of what we are putting into our body.
I agree with Jenna that dieting easily becomes a chore when you follow all the trending "fads." In the end, you never actually learn how to eat properly because you're so busy following a regimine - once you reach that goal weight however, the pounds seem to just fall on again. The only way to get healthy and stay healthy is consistently exercising and eating right.
ReplyDeleteI'm also completely guilty of eating when I'm bored, and overeating even when I'm not hungry anymore. I'll attest to the article when it says that eating slowly will make you feel fuller faster, so that "food coma" doesn't hit. Another tip promoted by Biggest Loser fitness expert Jillian Michaels is to only eat when sitting down, so every meal feels like a meal. She also suggests to limit yourself to smaller portions, and to brush youg teeth afterwards--the minty taste will keep you from wanting to continue to chow down.
I agree that many Americans have an overeating problem. I am guilty of eating while watching T.V. or going on the computer. I find that if I sit down in front of the T.V. with a bag of junk food, like popcorn, I end up eating the whole bag without even realizing, even when I am not hungry. When I sit down to dinner with my family and eat without distractions, I find that I sometimes don’t even finish my plate, because I am aware of when I am full. I think that eating while distracted is a major cause of overeating, because your mind is not focused on what you are eating. I also think that American culture has contributed to this, because most people want to eat popcorn or other snacks when watching movies, like they do in the movie theater. I think that people can fix this situation by not eating in front of the T.V. or computer, and by eating slowly to make sure that your body registers that you are full and remembering to stop eating if you are full.
ReplyDeleteThe funny part about reading this blog was the simply fact that I was eating while I was watching it. I agree with the statement that Kristeller said about how people eat just because it is time to or eating past there limits. I often catch myself when at a friend's how eating all the food when I am not that hungry simply because I do not want to be rude. Whenever a meal is homecooked by someone that is not in my family or I am going out to eat, I always feel that it is necessary to eat all of the food just so that money is not wasted. I think that myself and many other people with this problem should just order less food and work from there. Eating slower would probably help a lot more simply because it will make you feel like you are eating more. Earlier today before basketball practice, my friends and I went to the bagel store. As the conversation went on, we all agreed that it feels like you are eating more of a bagel when you eat each quarter of it instead of eating two halves. Eating sometimes is a psychological thing and being aware of what you are eating and how you are eating it will help America's problem of obesity.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with this article and the techniques suggested to eliminate binge eating. Obesity is a major problem in America, but it is something that can be controlled by each individual. I often find myself binge eating because, due to my busy schedule, I get extremely hungry and then when I finally get food, I order too much and end up over-eating. I always find myself ordering too much food that is too much for me to finish, but I force myself to finish it anyway because I don't want the food to go to waste. Also, I've noticed that I eat very quickly, which I know isn't very healthy either. I feel like it is so hard to keep a balanced diet now-a-days because it is just so much more convenient and easier to find some junk food for snacking in our pantries or to just order something quick from a store. Many people don't have enough time to cook a homemade meal every night, however, that is something that would help the obesity problem in our country. This article was interesting because I never noticed that after a while, the taste of food dies down and, eventually, it no longer satisfies us. I know that I will definitely try to stay focused and avoid over-eating after reading this article because I am ultimately in control of my own body and my eating habits. The key to beating binge eating habits is to remain motivated and to make healthy choices.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what has been said in this blog and the reasons why America is so overweight. I always find myself eating when its "time to eat" as opposed to when I'm actually hungry. Extreme dieting does not work because the methods are often unhealthy and after the goal is achieved, many people quickly fall back into their old habits. It is much healthier to develop a habit of healthy eating and eating things in moderation rather than going on an extreme diet, which will not have long lasting effects. I was actually just complaining yesterday how hard it is to not indulge in snacks when I'm stressed. I think that stress and boredom are major reasons many people overeat. Even I sometimes find myself thinking of a snack as some sort of reward, which leads to eating when you aren't even hungry. As Michelle said, convenience is another major reason people overeat, because it is often easier to have a quick, unhealthy snack than to take the time to find something healthier. If we try to follow these methods such as being aware of when you are full and realizing when taste buds no longer taste food to full capacity, the problem with overeating in our country could improve. It just takes a lot of focus to follow these habits over time.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think these techniques could come in handy when I find myself binge eating. Most of the time, I binge eat when I'm stressed. If I have three tests the next day and I am up late studying, I will literally say to myself, "I need some chocolate." Eating calms me down, but when I do this, I never eat healthy foods. I eat large amounts of very unhealthy junk foods and desserts. Instead of simply reaching for whatever I crave in a moment of anxiety, I should stop and consider what I choose. Smaller portions and healthier options can make snacking much better. Also, many times I find myself eating only because I am bored. I'll be watching TV or just sitting there, so I snack on whatever's handy. This is a bad habit to get into and I should really think about whether or not my hunger is real.
ReplyDeleteLike many of the other IHA girls, I'm certainly guilty of eating my favorite foods until my plate is empty. Like Monika, If I eat really healthy the whole day or work hard in school, I often come home and "reward" myself with ice cream "because I deserve it." But, is this binge eating really rewarding me in the long run? Of course not. I'm still learning to master the act of putting down my fork even when there's lots of my mom's best dinner left on the table. I've always been a fast eater, along with my sister, so when we were little my mom would encourage us chew each bite a certain amount of times before we could swallow so as to slow down our eating. From T-knee's article, it's shown that chewing more bites and fully enjoying my food will actually make me more satisfied with less bites. It sounds like my mom's old tactics have more benefits than one, and I may just go back to the 15-chews rule for this reason.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the senitment that over eating or binge eating is a huge problem in our nation, and that in order to become healthier people we have to be more conscious about what we eat and how much we eat everyday. I'll confess that I love to eat, and usually whenever I see something that looks good, regardless if I'm actually hungry or not, I will eat it just because I can. I have noticed that when my diet consists of eating whenever I want and however much I want, it's difficult for me to slow down and reject other food throughout the day. However, I have also noticed that whenever I eat healthy portions throughout the day and limit how much I eat and restrict when I eat, it's a lot easier for me to maintain this attitude and stick to a healthier lifestyle. I think that if everyone stuck their ground and committed themselves to eating healthier, eating less, and eating at appropriate times of the day, eating healthy would cease to be a chore but would become an easy habit that anyone could adjust to.
ReplyDeleteI think that if we were to fix this problem of overeating in our American culture, it would have to start with our relationship with food and why we think we should eat. Like many of you mentioned, sometimes we eat simply out of boredom. We're not necessarily hungry, but it's time to eat, so we eat. I myself am guilty of this. If i sleep in on a Saturday or Sunday and don't eat breakfast until 1:30-11, by 12:30 I still eat lunch simply because it's lunchtime.
ReplyDeleteI also think that in this culture that puts so much of an emphasis on food, it is very hard to maintain healthy eating habits. I think that if healthy examples were in the media and served in restaurants, eating healthy would be much other because we would have enough healthy options and there wouldn't be as much temptation. For me, my well-intended diets only last a few months, because eventually I become so tired and frustrated with trying so hard to eat right that I crack and indulge in way more brownies and cookies than I'm proud of.
I definitely think that Americans have a problem with overeating, at the root of that problem is our very relationship with food. If we can change the way we view food and eating, and eat only when hungry and stop as soon as that hunger has been satisfied, then it would be much easier for us to consume food in a healthy way.
After reading this I tried it, and for the most part it was successful. I spent more time focusing on how much I was eating, and eating slower and getting fuller. However, I found that I became too worried about what I was eating and my mom go upset that I "barely ate any dinner". While I agree that changing our relationship with food is an effective way to lead a healthier life, we must be careful not to become obsessed with what we eat and forget about all other things. A healthy medium between knowing when you're full and knowing when you're satisfied is a vital factor in changing the way we look at food.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I tried it, and for the most part it was successful. I spent more time focusing on how much I was eating, and eating slower and getting fuller. However, I found that I became too worried about what I was eating and my mom go upset that I "barely ate any dinner". While I agree that changing our relationship with food is an effective way to lead a healthier life, we must be careful not to become obsessed with what we eat and forget about all other things. A healthy medium between knowing when you're full and knowing when you're satisfied is a vital factor in changing the way we look at food.
ReplyDeleteI agree with mostly everyone about this article and how we eat way to much. But i think admitting it is the first step! All too too often we ignore our problems. At least America is aware of how bad our eating habits are.. but there is still no solution.
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to take a step back and think about when we actually do eat and our motivations. I know that I sometimes eat when I am stressed out and need a break from homework. I'm not hungry at all, I just eat because it is a way of passing time. We all need to eat only when necessary and eat only enough to fill us.
Another problem is that "American Foods" are typically greasy and fattening. Because we consume so much of this, we become obese and unhealthy. It could be hard, but modifying our foods could help fight child obesity.
I completely agree with this post! I think we not only need to change our portions, but our overall idea of food! When I was growing up, if I got a good grade on my report card, my dad would say, "You can have an extra slice of cake" or something along those lines. Even now, just last week, I was writing my research paper and allowed me to have around 32084203984 m'ms for mental distress. Food is a reward in our culture. You can't catch up with old friends without going for food. A birthday? Dinner. Meet a client? Brunch. Everything surrounds food.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to start looking at food as fuel for our bodies. I think that not only would this fix the huge portions, but it would also fix what we eat. If we look at food as fuel, we will eat whatever will make our body run the best (which probably isn't McDonald's). I think we can start this by learning what our body needs exactly, and then we will know how to satisfy those needs properly.