Eating is such a common part of everyday life, we hardly stop to think about the reasons why we eat and how much we eat. But pausing to think and ask the question “Why am I eating now?” is important to avoid overeating and avoiding junk in your diet. There are many reasons why we eat and here are some:
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Hunger
Of course this is the most obvious reason for eating. Eating is a natural and necessary thing to do especially because of this very important reason.
Coping
Coping with different kinds of emotion through food is called emotional eating. Using food to celebrate or to comfort you during dreadful times is habit forming and quite dangerous to your health. The emotion is not quelled when you eat and your problems are not solved. Most of the time, emotional eating just ends up in unnecessary weight gain.
Boredom
You may not be emotional but you are bored. And some people think that eating is a good thing to do out of boredom since it supposedly gives fuel to the body. But eating due to boredom is just another form of mindless activity which could be another risk factor for obesity.
To fit in
When you are with friends or family, there is really a big chance to eat way past the feeling of fullness. Everyone else is enjoying their meal so you feel obliged to fit in with conversations and their pace.
Food is right there
When food can quickly be accessed, for instance a candy bar is in your desk drawer or a bowl of sweets is laying there on your table, it is very tempting to indulge every chance you get.
It’s a Special Occasion
Scrumptious food and lots of drinks often come with every celebration there is. Having an abundance of food and great reasons to celebrate somehow makes people forget about every healthy eating habit and tend to overindulge in high-calorie food choices. And the fact that food and drinks are free during special occasions makes almost everyone extra happy to feast.
Needing energy
Afternoon lulls at the office can be very dragging and the temptation is to grab a satisfying cup of java or a sweet fix. Eating and drinking sweet things can give a burst of energy which makes people forget about the amount of calories they consume with every sip and bite.
Because the clock says it’s meal time
Having a routine eating time is ideal because you can ensure that your body gets the sustenance. What is risky about it is eating junk food for every scheduled meal.
A clean plate shows good manners
Most of us were taught to finish everything on our plate as part of good manners and not being wasteful. We carry this attitude in adulthood and some take it to the extreme of finishing up even the big plates at buffets, without worrying about the consequences of overeating.
Tips
- In addition to pausing and asking yourself about why you are eating, it would be useful to also ask what kind of food you are consuming/about to consume.
- Being conscious about asking yourself these questions help your brain process and in turn your appetite is unconsciously controlled too.