Food and Eating: Who is in Control?

You get home from a long, hectic day at work and immediately go to the kitchen.  You reach for that bag of yummy potato chips, grab a handful and munch away, mindlessly.  A half an hour later you realize the entire bag is gone, along with a row of Oreo cookies and a couple of pieces of cheese.  How many times has this happened to you?  And when or if it does, how much control do you actually have over your eating, and how much do your emotions come into play?

Studies show that as humans we are born with an innate ability to control the amount of calories we consume and we automatically know when to stop eating.  This ability has been shown to be extremely individualized and follows the personal growth curve each of us has when we are born.  Genetics play a huge part in this and we are already predisposed to the body type that our DNA encodes.  But if we were born with this innate ability, why do we see an estimated 65% of Americans currently overweight or obese?  This innate ability to control our individualized caloric needs seems to disappear as we get older, and it may be due to our "obesogenic" environment.

Our surroundings constantly bombard us with genius marketing ploys to get us to eat that Big Box from Taco Bell at 1am, or tell us we just can't live without that last doughnut from Krispy Kreme.

But what is really telling us to eat those thousands of empty calories as we graze throughout the day?  Our physical hunger or our emotions?

Say that it is physical hunger.  Take a look at the example at the top once again: you get home from work and immediately start the grazing routine before dinner.  If physical hunger is the issue, then there has been an inadequate amount of calories consumed throughout the day.  For many professionals skipping breakfast to get to that early morning meeting or blowing off lunch to get that extra proposal done is a common practice and often leads to the grazing binge in the evening.  Each and every one of us has a certain amount of calories  that need to be consumed daily, and it is important to spread those out throughout the day in three meals and a couple of snacks to make sure our bodies are being fueled appropriately.  Being physically hungry is not a particularly enjoyable experience, and that feeling in itself can be emotional and stressful.  This can then turn into an uncontrollable binging session fueled more by emotion than pure physical hunger.

Let's say its emotional eating, again looking at the top example.  Maybe the day was extremely stressful due to your work, family, or social life.  Eating has been recognized as a coping mechanism for dealing with stress and emotion for many individuals, and in our culture it is easy to overindulge on calorically dense food items.  Eating can be a way to distract us from our real emotions and what we are actually feeling.  And because it tastes good and gives a sense of satiety, it can make this practice of covering up emotions pleasant and enjoyable.  Pretty soon, you are coming home from work stressed and emotional 5 days per week and binging to elevate your mood.  Think of all those empty calories!!

 So What Can We Do To Help Prevent This?

1.) Make sure you are getting the appropriate number of calories per day, plus or minus 200.

An easy way to figure out how many calories you should be consuming is an easy calculation:

Women:
a.) Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2

b.) Multiply your height in inches by 2.54

c.) Multiply the result in step a.) by 9.6

d.) Multiply the result in step b.) by 1.7

e.) Multiply your age by 4.7

f.) Now add the results of steps c.) and d.).  Subtract the result from step e.) from that sum.  Now add 655.

Men:
a.) Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2

b.) Multiply your height in inches by 2.54

c.) Multiply the result in step a.) by 13.8

d.) Multiply the result in step b.) by 5

e.) Multiply your age by 6.8

f.) Now add the results of steps c.) and d.).  Subtract the result from step e.) from that sum.  Now add 66.5. 

This is your resting metabolic rate, and the amount of calories needed to maintain your body at rest.  Most individuals would need to multiply this by 1.3 to 1.5 to get the amount of calories needed to maintain your body at rest and including physical activity.

2.) Slow down the pace of eating.

It takes your stomach approximately 20 minutes to tell your brain that your full and to stop eating any more.  Eating fast will not give the appropriate time your body needs to send signals from your stomach to your brain and will cause you to overeat as a result.  Try taking breaks during between bites and taking more time while chewing.  This can also encourage more of a social opportunity while eating and you can engage in conversation a bit more easily.

3.) Choosing to eat food that is both nourishing and pleasing

Being able to please your senses while nourish your body can take away from the negative aspects of emotional eating.  Think how great it could be if your favorite junk food that you love to indulge on was also as nutritious as two servings of vegetables!  

4.) Eating away from distractions

Eating in front of the television or in the car is just another distraction that can further cause a mindless binge.  Try to eat with other individuals you enjoy and can have conversations with.  This will help you enjoy eating more, but not because of the food you put in your mouth, but more as a result of the experience of eating.

5.) Be mindful!!

Ask yourself if there are other ways of meeting the need that eating might fulfill at that time? Is there something you could do for yourself that might even fulfill your need better than food? Are you stressed after a long workday? Would a hot bath or “zoning out” in front of the TV help relax you just as well, or better? If so, try it and see if it works.

Never forget that you do not have to be perfect. Whatever you finally choose, move on with life and keep a positive attitude!

This blog post was inspired by Kim Flannery, RD