Weight Loss & Eating Disorders

In an ideal world food should simply be an enjoyable way to fuel the body. However in some instances, food has become inextricably linked with emotional messages that have nothing whatsoever to do with nourishing the body.

Food can be used as a reward; the only way some people know how to demonstrate affection is by lavishing food. Others use it as a punishment: forcing children to finish everything from their plate, or sending them to bed hungry for a misdemeanour. This can have two different outcomes - children can punish parents by rejecting their food, or they attempt to gain control “At least I be in charge of what I put in my mouth”.

What goes on around the table at mealtimes when people come together – silence, talk or fighting? I once worked with a client who suffered from numerous food allergies. When I asked her what actually happened at mealtimes, she described constant bickering. Gradually she became aware that her stomach (where she stored her nervous energy) was always churning and tightly clenched during mealtimes. When she worked with this underlying anxiety generated by her family’s aggression, many of her allergies disappeared.

So when we separate out the enjoyable aspect of eating, unburdening it of any emotional baggage, we learn to approach our food in a completely neutral way. In so doing, we digest and assimilate our food in a natural, healthy way.

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