Our diet-obsessed culture
judefit1
Posts: 1,003 Member
I hit my "goal weight" last week- for probably the 10th time in my life. I've been a lot thinner, and a lot heavier, but this is the range that I know has been healthy and comfortable to maintain in the past- and it measures correctly on all the "scales"
Hitting that number on the scale has made me pause and think about how much of my life has been consumed with obsession over my weight and how difficult it's been to find a healthy relationship with myself, with food, exercise and my personal goals for overall well-being.
Why is food, which should be a normal source of fuel and a source of enjoyment, become such a source of trouble for us all? And how do all of you see your relationship with food and wellness now?
FYI- I am 64, 5'2, 127 lbs; my goal is to maintain between 125-130 from now forward, forever. I've been as low as 110 and as high as 165 and I'm getting off the seesaw...
Hitting that number on the scale has made me pause and think about how much of my life has been consumed with obsession over my weight and how difficult it's been to find a healthy relationship with myself, with food, exercise and my personal goals for overall well-being.
Why is food, which should be a normal source of fuel and a source of enjoyment, become such a source of trouble for us all? And how do all of you see your relationship with food and wellness now?
FYI- I am 64, 5'2, 127 lbs; my goal is to maintain between 125-130 from now forward, forever. I've been as low as 110 and as high as 165 and I'm getting off the seesaw...
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Replies
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Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I actually think the fact that food is social has the potential to be the cure, not just part of the problem. A lot of us eat alone and on the go much more than we ever have before. Food is prepared and consumed more outside of the home than inside. I don't know that I'm part of the "slow food movement," as it's named, but I do live by a lot of the general principles. When I make food in my own home for my family, I have more say over what we eat and how much of it, we can linger at the table and talk and not rush off to do a million other things. Dinner time is sacred in our house and we don't let things interfere with it. A lot of the social time I spend with my spouse and children is over food-related chores like cooking, baking, and cleaning up after cooking and eating, gardening, etc. It's not all cakes and cookies (that stuff is grandma territory). I tend to think that's as it should be (and as it was for millenia for most people before technology simplified and outsourced much household food prep.) Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful I don't really have to worry too much about famine thanks to electricity and freezers! But I've deliberately opted out of the fast track and I think it's improved my relationship with food and a bunch of other things, too.12 -
I agree with Niner that portions have changed. Also machines do much of the work that we did before.8
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I actually wrote a similar post awhile ago. I was throwing stuff out, and came across 2 binders I made for "diet and exercise." It was full of exercises, motivational stories of people who lost weight and other tips for weight loss. These came from my subscriptions to Shape, Fitness and whatever similar magazines I had subscriptions to in my early 20's (now 44). It made me quite sad to realize more than half of my life has been me on some kind of diet or trying to lose weight, never happy with myself.
I'm happy to say now I'm at my goal weight (actually surpassed it) and have maintained a healthy weight for a long time. MY relationship with food and my body is so much better, even before I got to this weight. I realize that to some I might seem "obsessive" as I still track my food and get grumpy if I don't get my exercise in, but I much more relaxed about it. I specifically usually don't weigh or measure my food for this reason (just for me personally, I realize others do it without any issues). I have the tendency to get obsessive about things and hyperfocus, but I don't feel it's all-consuming now.
Our country's obsession with weight and "achieving the perfect body" (as if there were such a thing) is quite the paradox. We're fatter than ever, yet magazines are still full of articles about how to lose weight. Obviously, we're not doing it right. ..or at least, most people aren't. I think if we shifted our focus to eating and moving for HEALTH as opposed to looking great in a swimsuit (which is still ok--hey, I don't mind that i look a lot better in a swimsuit now) we'd be better off. In fact, when I started to shift my focus to eating for health and to feel better, it made losing weight and maintaining that weight loss easier.13 -
Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Absolutely. I see nothing wrong with enjoying family holidays. Problem with it is, people will not just enjoy 1 Thanksgiving meal, they enjoy 3-4 of them. Our ancestors ate high calorie foods, but many of them did so only on special occasions and they remained lean. At least, the ones that only had them on special occasions. If we look at the "wealthy", they had the ability to get "special occasion" foods on a daily basis. Many became over weight or obese. Think Henry the VIII. Many people these days eat like a toddler decided their menus. Cake for breakfast. Not saying that is not ok sometimes, especially if you are one of the few people who account for it in their diets, but most people do not engage in eating behavior in this manner. Most just eat what appeals to them. So, that cake does not get accounted for, and in return they eat many calories more than they need to maintain body weight. Food today is just supernormal stimuli. We can't help ourselves. Our brains are not adapted to live in an environment where this kind of "food" is cheap and easily available. So, some people will literally have a relationship with food. They like this to the point that it kills them. People will secret eat, avoid going out with people because they want to eat, or are ashamed of it. Many will also eat themselves to the point that having an intimate relationship with a partner is hard. So, in the end, they choose a relationship with food over REAL relationships with people.10 -
Food has become an industry. And the industrie's goal is to make more money. So far they are doing a very good job
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psychod787 wrote: »Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Absolutely. I see nothing wrong with enjoying family holidays. Problem with it is, people will not just enjoy 1 Thanksgiving meal, they enjoy 3-4 of them. Our ancestors ate high calorie foods, but many of them did so only on special occasions and they remained lean.
Yes, I think you're onto something here. In addition, for days that have traditionally been part of religious observance in mainstream Western culture (which is really all I know about so that's why it's what I'm mentioning), there were corresponding *fasts* observed, either seasonal (see Advent before Christmas and Lent before Easter), or even the day before another "feast day" would be set aside as a day for fasting (or at least abstinence from meat.)
In our, ahem, rather indulgent culture, I can't say I'm surprised that we've retained the fun feast days, at least the food and family aspects, but ditched the fasting days. 😂
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I know food seems to be obsession to many but we have many things we obsess over - exercise, money, friends, our houses. Some even obsess over their big noses or their short legs. If obsession means that we are taking care of ourselves, maybe not so bad. If we are thinking too much about ourselves and not caring for others then I think it is a problem to work through. Just a thought.5
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I’ll add that as processed and/or fast food have entered countries for the first time, citizens have become more fat. My gastroenterologist told me they are seeing skyrocketing IBD cases in countries when processed foods are first introduced.
When we are fatter, it is harder, more uncomfortable, and can be embarrassing (thinking back to 80’s aerobics classes with skimpy outfits and huge mirrors AND an exercise class that sounded fun in the 00’s and a friend saying, “But it would be too hard for you.” It was all very shaming.
Nowadays, I think younger folks are judged on their looks more than ever before with IG, etc. And songs with lyrics like “you’re so beautiful, you don’t even need a filter.” They make eyes bigger, noses narrower, etc.
I think for many, they change when they or someone they know has a health scare, and we decide the priceless life we have been given is worth moving a little more & eating a little less. But some I know will as the poster above decide their relationship with food is more important as I did for decades.4 -
I hit my "goal weight" last week- for probably the 10th time in my life. I've been a lot thinner, and a lot heavier, but this is the range that I know has been healthy and comfortable to maintain in the past- and it measures correctly on all the "scales"
Hitting that number on the scale has made me pause and think about how much of my life has been consumed with obsession over my weight and how difficult it's been to find a healthy relationship with myself, with food, exercise and my personal goals for overall well-being.
Why is food, which should be a normal source of fuel and a source of enjoyment, become such a source of trouble for us all?
Because natural selection happened mostly during millennia of mostly food scarcity and punitively hard physical effort being required for the masses of people, and now a bunch of us fortunate developed-world people are now in times where food excess is available, and our lifestyle requires much less movement.
I'm not sure I agree with "trouble for us all". I generally saw it as a choice on my part that I stayed fat for decades, and I didn't do much yo-yo-ing over the years, because it seemed clear to me that that was probably the least healthy possible approach. I can't remember being obsessed, at least not after adolescence, which tended to be an obsessive age for me in a variety of ways. I'm possibly statistically weird in other ways; I agree that our overall culture seems to have trouble with food/movement, in the last few decades.And how do all of you see your relationship with food and wellness now?
I think I've finally internalized the idea that I need to balance my short-term enthusiastic, hedonistic pursuit of pleasure, with my future self's need for decent health and good functioning, so future Ann can be happy, too.
I'm lucky to have discovered a form of exercise, almost 20 years ago, that I love so much that I'd do it even if it weren't good for me . . . but it *is* good for me, very good. Further, it motivates or enables me to do other active things, some of which are also reasonably fun. It's kind of magical, and I'm very lucky. (I was very active for around 12 years, while still obese, staying obese, but becoming the near-mythical pretty-fit fat person: Strong, low resting heart rate, good endurance, decent-ish competitive performance for a late starter though definitely sub-elite).
Calorie counting was the thing that let me balance short term pleasure with long term needs: I can eat every delicious calorie that's compatible with my future health, with enthusiasm and reasonable confidence. Since losing from class 1 obese to a healthy weight in 2015-16, I've ranged up and down (slowly) in a healthy weight range, most recently ultra-slowly but intentionally losing about 12-15 pounds over around 18 months, that had even more slowly crept on over a 3-4 year period since initial loss. I hate clothes shopping with a fiery passion, so my jeans getting tight was a sufficient motivator, and the ultra slow loss was virtually painless.
I won't guarantee this will work for me forever, but it's been working pretty well for 5+ years so far, after around 3 decades previously of mostly obesity. 🤷♀️
I don't like attributing power to "the diet industry" or "big food" or things of that sort, because I think those entities mainly respond to popular demand (including irrational demand). They give us what we show, by voting with our dollars, that we want. I have choices about what I fall into, and as much as possible I'd like to be clear-eyed about that, because for me, blaming these outside forces is disempowering. I don't like feeling like a helpless victim; it's not a productive posture.FYI- I am 64, 5'2, 127 lbs; my goal is to maintain between 125-130 from now forward, forever. I've been as low as 110 and as high as 165 and I'm getting off the seesaw...
I'm 65, 5'5", intending to stay somewhere in the vicinity of 125 pounds to the extent feasible.
I accidentally dropped into the one-teens when I overshot goal in 2016; I'd only been that light in one period before, when I was in college, when it was a natural outgrowth of my life and habits. When I entered the full-time workforce after college, I slowly gained weight and mostly stayed around the same weight range, topping out just below 200 pounds (usually 180s). There were only a couple of times in there when I lost maybe 10-20 pounds, and that was not via fad diets or obsession, just by cutting back.
I'm fortunate in that my taste-preferences are mostly for healthy foods as my core way of eating. I've not really ever been a general fan of so-called hyperpalatable foods, fast foods, sweet drinks, etc. I just liked big portions, calorie dense foods, and too-frequent treats.
I think there's a lot of accidental luck in the picture for me: Liking lots of healthy foods (and knowing how to cook them), finding a form of exercise that's a joy, not being very appearance-motivated, disliking clothes-shopping, etc.7 -
Another element in this is that a lot of people are tired, stressed, and relatively broke. I have things in my life that I very much enjoy. Things that are 'just for me' and me time.
Every last one of them costs more than a big mac.
Yes, it is free to walk or jog around your house and to eat less. But when people are stressed, struggling, poor and in need of some sort of small joy what's easily assessible to most (in the developed world and even then not all)? FOOD. Particularly the high calorie stuff - I can get a whopper or 6 ounces of blackberries for roughly the same price.
I absolutely could not have succeeded as I have with weight loss and fitness when I was at my most depressed and broke. No way. It would have been taking one of the few things I got even a temporary lift from out of my life. Now? Not the easiest thing but very doable - because now the primary 'I can do a thing for myself' in my life is not food.
That's important.13 -
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psychod787 wrote: »Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Absolutely. I see nothing wrong with enjoying family holidays. Problem with it is, people will not just enjoy 1 Thanksgiving meal, they enjoy 3-4 of them. Our ancestors ate high calorie foods, but many of them did so only on special occasions and they remained lean. At least, the ones that only had them on special occasions. If we look at the "wealthy", they had the ability to get "special occasion" foods on a daily basis. Many became over weight or obese. Think Henry the VIII. Many people these days eat like a toddler decided their menus. Cake for breakfast. Not saying that is not ok sometimes, especially if you are one of the few people who account for it in their diets, but most people do not engage in eating behavior in this manner. Most just eat what appeals to them. So, that cake does not get accounted for, and in return they eat many calories more than they need to maintain body weight. Food today is just supernormal stimuli. We can't help ourselves. Our brains are not adapted to live in an environment where this kind of "food" is cheap and easily available. So, some people will literally have a relationship with food. They like this to the point that it kills them. People will secret eat, avoid going out with people because they want to eat, or are ashamed of it. Many will also eat themselves to the point that having an intimate relationship with a partner is hard. So, in the end, they choose a relationship with food over REAL relationships with people.
You're wrong, the holiday isn't just one day, or even 3 or 4. The holiday season now runs from Halloween until New Year's Day.
Everything has become a special occasion from the 2 full months of "holidays" I mentioned to when Ellie, who works down the hall, is having a birthday and there are treats (nevermind that you really don't like Ellie and the only time you go around her is on her birthday).
Every time a kid has a sporting event have to bring treats to it for afterwards (and of course the parents eat some).
IMO everyday has become "special" when it comes to food and our collective waistlines show it;10 -
I think it’s evolutionary. Our bodies are designed to seek out and conserve calories for our very survival. Because of shift in society we have more than enough food but our brains are still in the mode of “must consume.”6
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I think it’s evolutionary. Our bodies are designed to seek out and conserve calories for our very survival. Because of shift in society we have more than enough food but our brains are still in the mode of “must consume.”
I'd sure like to think we're smarter than that with so many health problems made worse by obesity.3 -
Food has become an industry. And the industrie's goal is to make more money. So far they are doing a very good job
I think it's been a money-making industry for quite some time, even before I was born (I'm 44). It's been about how to make more food more cheaply and convenient for the majority of people. I was watching a snippet of "The Food that Built America" on the History Channel, and my husband has been watching it regularly. To me, it seems like when food was made much more convenient AND cheaper, while at the same time Americans were moving less and less due to less active jobs and/or having a form of transportation that required a lot less walking.4 -
I think I've finally internalized the idea that I need to balance my short-term enthusiastic, hedonistic pursuit of pleasure, with my future self's need for decent health and good functioning, so future Ann can be happy, too.
This is such a great way of thinking about it. Thank you @AnnPT77!
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I think I've finally internalized the idea that I need to balance my short-term enthusiastic, hedonistic pursuit of pleasure, with my future self's need for decent health and good functioning, so future Ann can be happy, too.
This is such a great way of thinking about it. Thank you @AnnPT77!
When I was a new mom and was looking for things to fill my day (ha!), I enrolled my toddler and preschool-aged kids in a psych study at a university. We got a little extra money, they got to go play with new toys and see new people, it was great. But I learned a lot there too just chatting with the researchers. One of the things they were studying was the ability to delay gratification. Obviously for very young kids how that was tested was pretty basic - don't touch this toy for two minutes and then I'll let you play with it AND another toy! Most kids could not resist touching the toy immediately, which is completely developmentally normal. It's actually a skill that many people struggle with even into adulthood. Being able to do so consistently is, at least according to the researchers I spoke to, basically peak maturity for human beings - the ability to set aside some immediate pleasure for some greater reward (not guaranteed but likely) further on down the road.
I think about that a lot.12 -
Interestingly enough, the average human lacks the ability to see down the future to the point of say beyond a few years. Yes they may have plans, but many don't "see" how they will actually be physically and mentally in those few years in the future.penguinmama87 wrote: »
Being able to do so consistently is, at least according to the researchers I spoke to, basically peak maturity for human beings - the ability to set aside some immediate pleasure for some greater reward (not guaranteed but likely) further on down the road.
I think about that a lot.
One of the things I think has kept me in good shape all these years is that I do see what I feel (barring injury or health issue) is what my physique will be 2 years, 5 years, down the road based on how I've been aging. And because I understand how physiology works, I also work towards improving health markers that afflict others my age. Thinks like joint pain, arthritis, and balance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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This has been such a great response- and I love reading all of your insights! It's a complex question with as many moving parts as our bodies and our social interactions.
For the most part, I've been a healthy eater and worker-outer- probably because my mom saw early that "junk food" was a problem for me and she was of a generation that prepared daily meals from fresh foods.
But I am of an age to remember before and after the introduction of "convenience foods"- sugar saturated foods like "Shake and Bake", "Hamburger Helper", an ever-growing array of sweetened cereals in the 60s into the 70s.
Like every kid of that age, I remember watching "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" and "I wish I were and Oscar Mayer Weiner"....(ad jingles of the 60s)
AND: the ever-increasing drinking of soda at home, diet or regular, which went from 8-12 oz servings to an insane 32 oz "Big Gulp"
AND: ever watch a football game now? How many commercials for high-calorie fat-laden foods do you see? Taco Bell, anyone? Cheese stuffed crust for your pizza- as if there wasn't enough cheese before??
I don't let the food industry off the hook. When marketing promoted cheap and convenient over fresh and healthy, we succumbed. When surplus dairy needed a market, they upped the ante.
It is changing a bit.... we're more aware, and finding better food options. More awareness overall, better access to fresh produce, better quality and better prices. And there's sites like MFP for help- if we are informed and aware, we do better. And we do better together.
I'm here to do my due diligence. I won't log every calorie every day, nor every ounce of exercise. I will be on here to remain conscious of my choices- because when I don't, I'm fooling myself. No one else.
I appreciate the fact that there is this forum to help us all and will keep looking for people whose responses help me do better for myself- thank you all!8 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »Because food for many is involved in RELATIONSHIPS. Family gatherings are built around food. So are major holidays. And because many times we only spend so little time physically moving, we normally eat more than we burn off. And of course with all the variety of foods, many of them are high calorie bombs. And lastly, in most industrialized countries with obesity problems, the PORTIONS are pretty big. Many times getting a portion that would feed 3 is given to 1 person.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Absolutely. I see nothing wrong with enjoying family holidays. Problem with it is, people will not just enjoy 1 Thanksgiving meal, they enjoy 3-4 of them. Our ancestors ate high calorie foods, but many of them did so only on special occasions and they remained lean. At least, the ones that only had them on special occasions. If we look at the "wealthy", they had the ability to get "special occasion" foods on a daily basis. Many became over weight or obese. Think Henry the VIII. Many people these days eat like a toddler decided their menus. Cake for breakfast. Not saying that is not ok sometimes, especially if you are one of the few people who account for it in their diets, but most people do not engage in eating behavior in this manner. Most just eat what appeals to them. So, that cake does not get accounted for, and in return they eat many calories more than they need to maintain body weight. Food today is just supernormal stimuli. We can't help ourselves. Our brains are not adapted to live in an environment where this kind of "food" is cheap and easily available. So, some people will literally have a relationship with food. They like this to the point that it kills them. People will secret eat, avoid going out with people because they want to eat, or are ashamed of it. Many will also eat themselves to the point that having an intimate relationship with a partner is hard. So, in the end, they choose a relationship with food over REAL relationships with people.
You're wrong, the holiday isn't just one day, or even 3 or 4. The holiday season now runs from Halloween until New Year's Day.
Everything has become a special occasion from the 2 full months of "holidays" I mentioned to when Ellie, who works down the hall, is having a birthday and there are treats (nevermind that you really don't like Ellie and the only time you go around her is on her birthday).
Every time a kid has a sporting event have to bring treats to it for afterwards (and of course the parents eat some).
IMO everyday has become "special" when it comes to food and our collective waistlines show it;
agreed, I failed to think of it as the season.Theoldguy1 wrote: »I think it’s evolutionary. Our bodies are designed to seek out and conserve calories for our very survival. Because of shift in society we have more than enough food but our brains are still in the mode of “must consume.”
I'd sure like to think we're smarter than that with so many health problems made worse by obesity.
you would think we would use the "rational" part of our brains for this, but I suspect that using the more "primitive" part of our brains is far easier for some.7 -
I don't let the food industry off the hook. When marketing promoted cheap and convenient over fresh and healthy, we succumbed. When surplus dairy needed a market, they upped the ante.
In my view, it's a bit of a two-way street though: there is of course the food industry who creates certain products, but on the other hand there simply is a market for some kinds of products, which they are tapping into.
For example: in the days when one (male) bread-winner was the norm and the wife took care of the household (including cooking) there was less need for convience foods. But now, with so many households where both partners have a full-time job, so many single parent households and so many people who even have several jobs, the need for quick food options is probably a lot higher than before.
Not saying it's the case for all less healthy foods (marketing is also great at 'creating' needs, not just tapping into existing needs) but some things can't be blamed entirely on the food industry.It is changing a bit.... we're more aware, and finding better food options. More awareness overall, better access to fresh produce, better quality and better prices. And there's sites like MFP for help- if we are informed and aware, we do better. And we do better together.
Here as well, I think we're seeing (part of) the food industry respond to customers' changing needs: new companies offering alternatives to existing brands by offering better quality, existing companies changing ingredients and production methods, etc. I doubt they're doing it (entirely) out of concern for the health of their customers, I think we can influence a lot by how we decide to spend our money
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I found Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle really interesting in thinking about attitudes towards food. I thoroughly recommend it.4
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Why is food, which should be a normal source of fuel and a source of enjoyment, become such a source of trouble for us all? And how do all of you see your relationship with food and wellness now?
Because unlike our ancestors, we are surrounded by food 24/7 and unlike our ancestors, we do not really have to expend any energy (calories) to acquire food (calories). At no other time has our species had to rely on willpower to this level. The ability to store calories for future use (which allowed us to survive) is no longer a help. In our current environment it is a hindrence...
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Why is food, which should be a normal source of fuel and a source of enjoyment, become such a source of trouble for us all? And how do all of you see your relationship with food and wellness now?
It's going to be different things for different people. Some people have true and very deep seeded disordered relationships with food and would be wise to seek out therapy.
For most people though, I'd say it comes down to vast availability as well as the normalization of eating out with great frequency, huge portions, snacking throughout the day, and treating everything like an occasion. Couple that with declining physical activity.
For me personally, food wasn't really the biggest issue. I've never been a "relationship with food" kind of guy. I never had any problems with my weight until after 30 when I took a desk job and my physical activity plummeted. I was never much of a workout guy, but I was highly active. I didn't own a car for most of my 20s and walked or road my bike everywhere and worked in manual labor jobs like landscape construction and warehouse work and in my spare time I liked hiking, playing ultimate frisbee with my buddies, and hitting the skate park. I went from that to a daily vehicle commute and sitting behind a desk 12 hours per day and a lot of overnight(s) travel that had me eating out way more than I did previously...boom...fat wolfman.
Being that I still have a desk job, I have to be much more aware of my diet as well as planning deliberate physical activity...whereas before, being active was just what was going on in my life in general.6 -
This has been such a great response- and I love reading all of your insights! It's a complex question with as many moving parts as our bodies and our social interactions.
For the most part, I've been a healthy eater and worker-outer- probably because my mom saw early that "junk food" was a problem for me and she was of a generation that prepared daily meals from fresh foods.
But I am of an age to remember before and after the introduction of "convenience foods"- sugar saturated foods like "Shake and Bake", "Hamburger Helper", an ever-growing array of sweetened cereals in the 60s into the 70s.
Like every kid of that age, I remember watching "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" and "I wish I were and Oscar Mayer Weiner"....(ad jingles of the 60s)
AND: the ever-increasing drinking of soda at home, diet or regular, which went from 8-12 oz servings to an insane 32 oz "Big Gulp"
AND: ever watch a football game now? How many commercials for high-calorie fat-laden foods do you see? Taco Bell, anyone? Cheese stuffed crust for your pizza- as if there wasn't enough cheese before??
I don't let the food industry off the hook. When marketing promoted cheap and convenient over fresh and healthy, we succumbed. When surplus dairy needed a market, they upped the ante.
It is changing a bit.... we're more aware, and finding better food options. More awareness overall, better access to fresh produce, better quality and better prices. And there's sites like MFP for help- if we are informed and aware, we do better. And we do better together.
I'm here to do my due diligence. I won't log every calorie every day, nor every ounce of exercise. I will be on here to remain conscious of my choices- because when I don't, I'm fooling myself. No one else.
I appreciate the fact that there is this forum to help us all and will keep looking for people whose responses help me do better for myself- thank you all!
Growing up we were really poor and didn't have a tv, and I was taught at home so very isolated from other kids/outside influences. We gardened and canned, my dad hunted and we raised pigs and rabbits for some some of our own meat. We never ate convenience foods or went out to eat, because it was expensive. First time I went to a restaurant was in middle school, when my grandma took me to a McDonalds. Mind blown, LOL. When we would do road trips my mom would pack coolers (something my parents still do when they drive down south for the winter months). We did not drink soda etc etc.
My mom has always been obese, my sisters were overweight as kids etc. So in my personal experience, the food industry had very minimal impact on my family's weight issues. What I learned as an adult is that my mom has an ED, which started by weight-related bullying that happened to her at a very young age (her whole family is/was obese and she was a target starting back in elementary school).
There's so many layers to how people interact with food, and from my own experience and those who I'm close to that struggle, a lot of it has to do with mental/emotional things. All of the living women on my maternal side struggle with their weight, myself included. We all have different lifestyles though.8 -
This has been such a great response- and I love reading all of your insights! It's a complex question with as many moving parts as our bodies and our social interactions.
For the most part, I've been a healthy eater and worker-outer- probably because my mom saw early that "junk food" was a problem for me and she was of a generation that prepared daily meals from fresh foods.
But I am of an age to remember before and after the introduction of "convenience foods"- sugar saturated foods like "Shake and Bake", "Hamburger Helper", an ever-growing array of sweetened cereals in the 60s into the 70s.
Like every kid of that age, I remember watching "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" and "I wish I were and Oscar Mayer Weiner"....(ad jingles of the 60s)
AND: the ever-increasing drinking of soda at home, diet or regular, which went from 8-12 oz servings to an insane 32 oz "Big Gulp"
AND: ever watch a football game now? How many commercials for high-calorie fat-laden foods do you see? Taco Bell, anyone? Cheese stuffed crust for your pizza- as if there wasn't enough cheese before??
I don't let the food industry off the hook. When marketing promoted cheap and convenient over fresh and healthy, we succumbed. When surplus dairy needed a market, they upped the ante.
It is changing a bit.... we're more aware, and finding better food options. More awareness overall, better access to fresh produce, better quality and better prices. And there's sites like MFP for help- if we are informed and aware, we do better. And we do better together.
I'm here to do my due diligence. I won't log every calorie every day, nor every ounce of exercise. I will be on here to remain conscious of my choices- because when I don't, I'm fooling myself. No one else.
I appreciate the fact that there is this forum to help us all and will keep looking for people whose responses help me do better for myself- thank you all!
Growing up we were really poor and didn't have a tv, and I was taught at home so very isolated from other kids/outside influences. We gardened and canned, my dad hunted and we raised pigs and rabbits for some some of our own meat. We never ate convenience foods or went out to eat, because it was expensive. First time I went to a restaurant was in middle school, when my grandma took me to a McDonalds. Mind blown, LOL. When we would do road trips my mom would pack coolers (something my parents still do when they drive down south for the winter months). We did not drink soda etc etc.
My mom has always been obese, my sisters were overweight as kids etc. So in my personal experience, the food industry had very minimal impact on my family's weight issues. What I learned as an adult is that my mom has an ED, which started by weight-related bullying that happened to her at a very young age (her whole family is/was obese and she was a target starting back in elementary school).
There's so many layers to how people interact with food, and from my own experience and those who I'm close to that struggle, a lot of it has to do with mental/emotional things. All of the living women on my maternal side struggle with their weight, myself included. We all have different lifestyles though.
I can agree that the convenience food industry is not completely to blame. People can make the same kinds of foods at their own homes, using cheap, easy to get ingredients. Where we can get in trouble is, when they are available everywhere, with little effort to obtain, at a low cost. I suggest looking at optimal forging theory if you are not familiar with it. As far as ED. Well, I have been learning about many. Maybe had/have one or two per a therapist, who had no idea how to help me btw. My circumstances are unique to say the least. I personally think that it is getting harder to separate certain ED's from the types of food we consume regularly. Most people are not secretly eating apples, or bingeing on carrots. I think there might be a few, but not many. I saw a list of most binged foods reported by people who have BED. They include, candy, chocolate, pizza, pastries, and chips. Foods who's macro profiles release loads of dopamine in our brains. JMHO Still learning......
**edit** wanted to add, that I think there is a genetic component that causes some people to carry more body fat than others. That would not be a huge problem if we did not live in the food environment we live in now. I think that some people are wired to have larger appetites and have lower restraint around energy dense? high reward foods.2 -
I'm getting off the seesaw...
Everybody has made some really great points here. But I want to go back to the OP and congratulate you on this conclusion that you've drawn. That is so healthy, psychologically and emotionally as well as physically, and this determination can drive your decisions for the rest of your life. Good for you!
2 -
wunderkindking wrote: »...I can get a whopper or 6 ounces of blackberries for roughly the same price.
Price is a huge factor. On a military base I where I used to work, the cafeteria offered a large gamut of food offerings. Now, this is a military base, where the bulk of the people living/working there should by definition be physically fit and ready to respond on a moment's notice to defend our nation. Yet eating healthy was almost discouraged; you could get a lean roast beef sandwich, apple and water for $10, or a double bacon cheeseburger, fries and soda for $7.3
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