Obesity and addiction

[Wahine]

I either read or heard about a theory that people have some "cave-man" type habits that have not evolved out of us yet. Back in the day when food was sometimes hard to come by, people would eat a lot to get their fill because it might not be there tomorrow. I can equate that with having teenagers in the house. If I don't eat that ice cream now, it won't be there tomorrow. Did I need that ice cream, or was I even really hungry? Likely not. But at least I got some and there will be less for those pesky teenagers! I think this would explain a lot of overeating habits, although obesity is far more complicated than just that.

It's also been theorized that this is why we tend to gravitate toward food laden with fat and sugar, it was where you got your most calories and quickly stored energy in a system where there may not be food tomorrow.

I definitely have some "resource guarding" issues. That's what they call it when dogs are overly protective of food/toys. It comes from being in a family of 5 kids where if you didn't eat fast enough, you didn't get seconds. Fortunately, there just wasn't any junk food to speak of in the house like that, so I've never been protective of "treats". But you should see how quickly I can eat a meal. We had rules about special foods being shared so I don't think the same reactions kick in around those foods.

[Owlie]

It's also been theorized that this is why we tend to gravitate toward food laden with fat and sugar, it was where you got your most calories and quickly stored energy in a system where there may not be food tomorrow.

Yep. The idea is that sweet things aren't likely to be poisonous, fat has a high calorie to mass ratio, and salt, while essential, is not all that easy to find out there, hence the attraction of salt licks and potato chips.

I store sweets--it takes me for freaking ever to finish them, sometimes to the point where I forget I have them. Some of it I think is rooted in the fact that we very rarely had sweets in the house when I was growing up. Neither of my parents are dessert people, and we only had chocolates/candy in the house a few times a year: Halloween, Easter, and whenever either of my grandmothers sent a box of stuff. My sister did the opposite--she used to wolf down chocolate bars (the 3oz Cadbury ones) in one sitting. And then she'd steal mine, so I hid them...and forgot about them.
Of course, I'm the one with the "weight problem."

[Skip]

Hi,

I usually just lurk around these boards but I really liked the discussion going on in this thread and wanted to jump in : )

Someone mentioned the origin of food issues a while back and I was thinking how the everyone-sit-down family dinner is supposedly disappearing and how that "interrupts" healthy meals. The busy-busy-busy culture of today creates a lack of appreciation for the food we eat, so we keep eating because our brains don't get a chance to catch up with our stomachs.

From what a lot of others have posted, families can be as much of a problem as a strength. Eating too much because of being pushed more or eating too fast b/c you might not get some (I know this one: if you don't get something before my brother, you don't get any. Boys. ::rolls eyes:: ) To those who have had such long-time and complex struggles with food and weight, do you find that family meals (whether during childhood/adolescence or adulthood/parenthood) help you or do they challenge you?

I realize this is a very personal question, so feel free not to answer if it's uncomfortable : ) I only recently started tracking what I eat as an experiment and I'm amazed at what we regularly have around.

[jezbael]

Great discussion. Thoughtful points. Courageous confessions.

I've struggled with food/eating/weight my whole life. I took a turn for the "healthy" about 10 years ago and very slowly, started replacing bad habits for healthier ones.

At one point I got crazy frustrated, because I had changed so much, lost a bunch of weight, but was still hungry and craving almost all the time. I felt like I was fighting a losing battle.

The most compassionate words came from my naturopath who said, "Let's see if we can get your body working better so that your efforts have a fighting chance". We targeted my thyroid functioning, which my GP repeatedly dismissed as a problem. That's helped. But I still fight.

I also remember reading a study where cocaine-addicted rats were given sugar water. After a very short time (days? weeks?) the rats chose the sugar water over cocaine. Sugar lights up the pleasure centre in our brains stronger than cocaine.

So many factors to consider, way beyond mere willpower.

[lph]

Welcome to the discussion, and welcome to TE, Skip!

I think establishing good eating habits early can be a lot more important than we generally think, not just a good idea but crucial to determining how we think of food as adults for years to come. In that sense how families eat together does play a big role.

My grandfather had painful stomach ulcers for most of his life. He suffered from stress and wolfed down his food, mainly because he grew up in a super-authoritarian household where his father ate very fast, and no-one could continue eating after he was finished.

[OakLeaf]

Really good article about learning healthy eating and identifying food issues on the family level. If they enlisted any professional help, they don't mention it in the story.

With the caveat that I haven't read the book in decades, the old classic Fat is a Feminist Issue was a huge revelation to me when I first read it. It's body image positive but also identifies some of the many issues that keep people fat when they don't want to be.

[limewave]

Skip, good question.

Growing up overweight and eventually becoming morbidly obese, I am very sensitive about the family meal.

My husband works late every night. I had tried making a traditional meal (meat, potato, pastas, bread, casseroles, etc) for the kids, but they are picky and won't eat it. I was afraid to eat most of what I made myself because if I started eating pasta I knew I wouldn't be able to stop. It was a mess. The "family dinner" caused a lot of anxiety and I would end up binging. DH would come home from work at 10 PM and "not feel like a big meal" and eat 3 bowls of cereal instead.

I've come up with a solution that works for us. We don't sit down for a family dinner. However, the kids are involved with meal planning. Each week the kids plan a dinner: they choose 2 vegetables (1 green and 1 colorful), a main dish, and a dessert (fruit parfaits, apple slices and cinnamon). It's not unusual for the kids dinner to be what we call "the mix:" assortment of fresh cut veggies, fresh cut fruit, a TB of a natural PB for dipping, and a few small slices of cheese. Sometimes they even pick a "Big Salad" for dinner

This works well for me too as I tend to eat a big breakfast but like a light dinner--a salad, bowl of soup, etc. I make certain things for DH and package them in single servings stored in the freezer. Sometimes I'll grill for him at night, but we keep it simple. There's always a salad and fresh cut veggies in the fridge--everyone is eating better.

Dinner isn't the main event in our family. We "refuel and nourish" our bodies so we can go play! Every night after dinner we do a family activity: biking, soccer, walks, playground, games, etc. That's how we get in our quality time.

Extended family meals are an entirely different story . . . I hate them. If I bring my own healthy alternatives I get judgmental looks and comments. I can't stand being around a spread of food all day, its too tempting. I just have to get through the day . . .