Eating Issues

Eating issues run rampant in our society. They are particularly challenging to address because we have to face eating every day. Avoiding it all together is not an option.

We struggle for many reasons. For starters, our bodies are designed to survive even if we cannot find enough food. We have cavepeople bodies in a society of surplus, thus food is typically readily available and we are forced to police ourselves. If we eat less in efforts to control our weight, our bodies slow our metabolisms to ensure we do not starve. Secondly, the food industry has supersized portion sizes so our perspective of how much we should eat has gone awry. And the media has given us overly perfectionistic images of what we are supposed to look like. If Barbie were alive she would have a 16” waist, 29” hips, would only have room in her abdomen for half a liver, and because her ankles were so small she would have to walk on all fours.

Eating issues affect both men and women, though are more prevalent in women. They often start in adolescence, when concern over how one looks is exaggerated and can easily get attached to one’s self-esteem.

Eating issues range from dealing with the emotional and psychological aspects of eating to full-blown eating disorders. If you have severe eating issues you need a targeted eating disorder program and ongoing support to conquer your issues. If your eating issues are less serious, working with a therapist can be enough to help you to build a healthier relationship with food.