Overeating

[shootingstar]

Birth order might affect your eating habits. Oldest children and only children tend to save their favorite foods for last. Give them a chocolate chip cookie, and it might become a special treat for after dinner.

Youngest children and middle children of large families are more likely to polish off favorite foods as soon as they receive them -- probably to ensure that older siblings won’t snatch the food away. These birth-order eating patterns tend to continue into adulthood.

For adults who are the youngest or middle children, the result can be unnecessary pounds. Favorite foods tend to be unhealthy foods, and people who eat unhealthy foods as soon as they get them may be inclined to eat larger quantities in the long run

The article mentions this. Each family is different. In the family where I was raised, food snatching from siblings was not allowed or siblings feeling threatened that others would take food, so they would eat fav. foods first. Dear mother rationed soft drinks, candy and desserts in equal portions (or in proportion to age of child's development) for us since alot of the junk/unhealthy food made a rare appearance at home. Actually me, being the oldest, I was helping mother feed some of the younger ones healthy food at times.

I don't agree as applicable in the family I was raised. It was more of matter discplining all us progeny, to eat the food that was prepared even if we didn't care for it much, but it was healthy for us.

N.B.: Please don't mention HungryGirl stuff again..it has fallen out of favour as a regular healthy alternative way of eating at least for many TE members here.

[Reesha]

I was just referring the thread where I saw the other Overeating book mentioned, never seen the HungryGirl book or whatever.

There was no food snatching in my family either-- not when we grew up on a steady diet of salad, hot dogs and baked beans (the rural low income diet!).

[Reesha]

Here is the book I was actually referencing. It was simply mentioned in the HungryGirl thread. This is a NY Times Book review of "The End of Overeating".

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/bo...st-t.html?_r=1

[GLC1968]

I actually almost ordered that book, but in reading reviews of it, I found reference to this one which I ordered instead. I've read the first few chapters and am finding it amazingly astute. I cannot wait to read more (but my boss would probably frown on reading 'pleasure' books durring the work day!).

http://www.amazon.com/Normal-Eating-...4563591&sr=8-1

As far as that observation about birth order? In my experience, it's partially true. I was the first born and I ALWAYS save the best for last. The best bite, my favorite side, dessert, whatever it is...I save the best for last. The problem with this in relation to body weight? There are 2. First, because I save the best for last, I tend to ignore my 'full' signals. Even if I get 'full' and stop eating...I still have to eat whatever it is that I've 'saved' or else I feel deprived or that I missed out. This means I'm constantly eating more than my body needs. The second issue is that by saving the best...I always finish my food with the last trace of 'perfect' or 'delicious' in my mouth. If I haven't already gotten the 'full' signal, this just makes me want more. I used to notice this with pizza...I love the crust the best, so eating it last meant that each time I finished a piece I'd think "wow, that was really good....let's have another". Then I'd start another piece, think it's not all that great...but still feel that I should at least finish it to get to the best part (the crust) so that it doesn't go to waste. It's a vicious circle!

[bambu101]

Wow- I did the same thing! I was going to order the End of Overeating book, but got the same one as GLC1968. I cannot wait to read it.

[Zen]

I would categorize The End of Overeating as sort of a psychology book. It doesn't tell you what to do, it tells you how they're doing it to you.

The other book looks like Just Another Diet Book from an admittedly first glance.

[Cataboo]

I had a mom who would confiscate & trash any sweets that we got, because they were bad for us...

So if we did get candy or something sweet, we'd all eat it as fast as possible... because it wasn't going to be there later. If you didn't eat all your halloween candy, it would get thrown away. Birthday cake remainders would get trashed or given away after the party, etc.

She was also psychic and would find any candy you hid, no matter how well you hid it in the most random of places.

Add in being told to always finish the food on your plate and having a mom that won't listen when you say you're not hungry and sticks more food on your plate... But then will tell you after you eat everything how fat you are...

I have a ton of healthy eating habits!

[Reesha]

I did the same and read a bunch of reviews!

The Normal Eating for Normal People lady made a valid point, but even those who have a genetic predisposition for obesity may have some control over their condition. In my family, my brother, sister and mother are overweight. My mom's family is overweight as well. I eat incredibly healthfully and consciously and I have to fight to maintain even. I am not overweight, but I feel that if the other members of my family ate better, they would not be in the position they're in. They may always struggle to stay at a healthy weight because I believe there is a genetic predisposition for an easy weight gain, but it's what they do that put them there.

I ordered the End of Overeating last night. I'll let you know what I think!

[tctrek]

I partially agree with the family theory. I am the oldest of 7 children and as a result, I did a lot of the more grown up chores for my mother. In reward, the best snacks were put aside for me and I was allowed to wait until all the other kids were asleep to eat my treat.

To this day, I am really good at saving a treat until a special, quiet time when I can get the utmost enjoyment. But, I don't overeat. I can walk past the same box of cookies for a week. When I decide to have one, I choose the time and place and savor it. I'm pretty weird.

I nearly always clear my plate, though.. that's a left over from punishment as a kid for not eating everything. I may not put a lot on my plate, but whatever is on it, I eat it all. I also eat in circles... a little of each food on the plate in equal portions. I'm pretty weird.

[GLC1968]

I would categorize The End of Overeating as sort of a psychology book. It doesn't tell you what to do, it tells you how they're doing it to you.

The other book looks like Just Another Diet Book from an admittedly first glance.

Yeah, that's what the reviews said about The End of Overeating. That its great at describing what happens and why, but gives little or no practical advice about how to begin to fix it for the individual.

Normal Eating is definitely NOT another diet book. It's not about WHAT you eat, at all. But again...I'm just starting it.

My issue is that I know all the science. I know what is healthy. I know that 'dieting' doesn't work. I know that you have to change your habits for weight loss to take effect. I know that there are certain foods that are chemically more difficult to resist. I know about all the things in my past that have helped form my current habits. And most importantly, I know that if I don't love and respect myself the way I am now, I'm never going to be able to make a permanent change. I know all this, and yet I can't seem to do it. Why? Am I lazy? Am I weak? Am I broken? All of the above? I've been struggling with my weight and my own body image since I was a child. Maybe, just maybe, this book will help me start down a new path by teaching me HOW.

Then again, maybe not. The jury is still out...

[Reesha]

I think I'm more interested in just reading about the psychology and the marketing madness around the food industry and how they're manipulating customers into eating much much more than we ever have before. Sounds to me like what The End of Overeating explores. I'm not going to use it as a diet book though.

I tend to overeat when I'm bored but also when I've been on my bike 25+ torturous miles and I overestimate how many calories I need to refuel.