New York Times article on binge eating study

jpketz
jpketz Posts: 73
edited September 18 in Food and Nutrition
Interesting stuff. Especially the comments after the story.

http://tinyurl.com/3jg7du

Anyone else have study data on the relationship between stress and overeating? I really find it fascinating, in a "oh my god, is that me?" kinda way.

My unprofessional, a-little-knowledge-can-be-dangerous-opinion is that it's all about control. The less we "perceive" we have. the more prone we are, in general, to acting out in a number of ways, eating being a classic and convenient form.

If you disagree with the study findings, you gotta at least love reading about binging monkeys with your morning coffee.

Replies

  • jpketz
    jpketz Posts: 73
    Interesting stuff. Especially the comments after the story.

    http://tinyurl.com/3jg7du

    Anyone else have study data on the relationship between stress and overeating? I really find it fascinating, in a "oh my god, is that me?" kinda way.

    My unprofessional, a-little-knowledge-can-be-dangerous-opinion is that it's all about control. The less we "perceive" we have. the more prone we are, in general, to acting out in a number of ways, eating being a classic and convenient form.

    If you disagree with the study findings, you gotta at least love reading about binging monkeys with your morning coffee.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    WOW that article was fascinating, but the comments were definitely more so! Thanks for posting.

    And I think this one really hit it on the head:
    Food binges are a result of stressful social situations, loneliness, and mostly an obsession with food. To a person with with a binge eating disorder or compulsive over-eating problems (and maybe also to the occasional binge eater), certain foods are like a addictive drug. Few things seem to matter more. You want the food (in massive amounts) more than anything in the world, even though rationally you know it’s bad for you and that you will hate yourself later for it. Food eaten during a binge is not really “comfort food” - the situation is not that casual. The food becomes an agent in an act of desperation.

    And this comment as well:
    “Some C.E.O.’s are a lot more stressed-out than blue-collar workers”

    This might be off topic, but I just seriously doubt this statement. Any CEO is likely to be a millionaire and is likely to have excellent healthcare. Any CEO could quit their job in a second and not have to worry ahout finding a job the very next day. They don’t have to worry about having enough food to feed their kids or living paycheck to paycheck. These are real life stressors which CEO’s or those with high incomes and access to resources will most likely never encounter. They live with significantly LESS stress. However, I do agree with the following statement.
  • jpketz
    jpketz Posts: 73
    I completely agree with you—the stress a single mom faces putting food on the table in this day and age is apples and oranges compared with anything a CEO faces. Even CEO's that fail miserably invariably land on their feet--it's built into their contracts.

    And though I have NO facts to back this up...when's the last time you saw a morbidly obese CEO? Or anyone who is "over-privileged" for that matter? Whether it's the added stress of financial insecurity, poor access to healthy food, less free time to exercise, lack of health care education or a combination of all of these things—in this society, it seems clear that wealth buys health.
  • wanderinglight
    wanderinglight Posts: 1,519 Member
    I couldn't agree more, not to mention the fact that "fat is cheap," a concept that has always horrified me. It just doesn't seem fair that one can buy a burger (and all that that entails, i.e. the cost to feed and kill the cow, the tasteless, genetically engineered tomatos, the cheap bread made from enriched flour and corn syrup) for $0.99, but it costs $4.99 for a pound of organic fruit.

    Just compare the cost of fast food versus the hit the wallet takes at a place like Whole Foods, and it is truly shocking. Those who have the money are the only ones who can afford to really be picky about what they put into their bodies.

    There was a mayor...can't remember which one...who ate using food stamps for two weeks and I think he gained 20lbs. He did all his shopping at the 99 Cent Store and realized that he could only afford "white food" -- bread, ramen, mayo, etc. He ran out of fruit and veggies after about three days.

    Anyway, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir but it sure is food for thought.
  • cp005e
    cp005e Posts: 1,495 Member
    I just finished re-reading a book called "Fat Land" that spends a lot of time discussing the fact that "fat is cheap" as you mention. Empty calories are particularly cheap. There often aren't decent grocery stores in urban areas, so the only things around are convenience foods - McDonald's and the Kwik-E-Mart, basically. It also talks about some of the other reasons that lower-income people (and children in particular) are often heavier than the rich. When your neighborhood isn't safe, a good parent would rather have their child safe at home, even if it is in front of the television. If that's not stress, I don't know what is.

    The original article was interesting, too, as well as the comments. I appreciated how well some people were able to accurately describe the act of binging and the feelings both during and after! Stress, fatigue, and emotional distress always played a role for me. I feel as though I've been able to gain much better control over my eating over the past several months, and feeling in control is my best defense against binging.
  • jpketz
    jpketz Posts: 73
    So true...both of you....excellent points....however when you consider the "hidden" costs of society's obsession with "cheap food" i.e. unsustainable growing practices, use of fossil fuels, the disastrous impact on the health care system from eating crap, it may be cheaper to shop at "Whole Paycheck" after all. In theory, of course. Quality grocery stores aren't exactly popping up in every demographic, are they?
  • kaiyacali
    kaiyacali Posts: 175
    I live in the suburbs- I love whole foods, but that's an hour drive, Trader Joes is a half hour. With gas prices, I have to go to a local Cub foods which takes me twice as long to find the good foods. :noway:
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