Bumper sticker: Chocolate is Cheaper than Therapy and You Don't Need an Appointment.
What's up with our obsession with food? Years ago I walked into a Hometown Buffet (one of those restaurants you could eat all the macaroni and canned crap you want for $3.99.) Half the diners looked like they'd eaten their hometown. Yeh, yeh--I know that a number of people have metabolic issues, thyroid difficulties, and pathology which is organic in nature, all of which cause weight gain. But ALL of us? I have to believe that some of us are just choosing to become knuckle-dragging, fat slobs. I am en route if I'm not careful. I waddle up to the scale and suck my gut in, hoping to see the numbers. Nice try. So my wife reads them to me. "981 lbs." "You're reading them upside down, Honey." But why wasn't that obvious to her?
Food often is my comfort. It soothes my "nervous stomach." I eat to calm my anxiety. It can be a long and stressful day of work and rather than releasing I find myself inhaling--food.
Food is often a habit. It's noon; I must eat lunch. It's 5:30 p.m.; I must eat dinner. If I haven't eaten and it's 5:32 p.m. I become light-headed and disoriented. Yeh, right. Often it's not hunger that's prompting me to eat; it's habit. I was at Taco Bell today (only the best for me) and ordered my $.89 Five-layered Beef Burrito and a small Coke which I refill with each bite. Did you just notice I referred to the burrito as mine. It's no longer a Taco Bell selection. It's mine, Baby! Anyway, a couple months ago I would order and inhale two of my $.89 Five-layered Beef Burritos. Recently I began a new medication. It accelerates the rapid growth of nose and ear hair, which upon reaching a length of one inch, I will have a hair follicist transplant on top of my head. I'm delusional and I digress. It is true that the new medication has curbed my appetite. Today, I finished off one of my $.89 Five-layered Beef Burritos, and was full. But this internal battle was waged.
"I ALWAYS get two."
"But you're not hungry."
"I know, but it just doesn't feel right to only have one."
"You're a beef-eating pig."
I oinked at one and left.
The Bible contains some harsh words about our over-eating. In the book of Proverbs it is written," "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive." (23:1-3) Let's not get literal here. I think the passage is suggesting that we take strong measures in general to address our gluttony. And I wonder if it isn't only a ruler's food that is deceptive. ALL food can be deceptive. We trust food for more than it can deliver. If I eat enough Happy Meals they'll make me fat, not happy. Happiness is to be sought and will be found elsewhere.
I will continue to fight for a healthier relationship with food. In the meantime, three more hours and it's 5:30!!
What's YOUR relationship with food? Lemme know.
8 comments:
I am as knuckle-dragging, fat slob. I chose it. It took some careful planning and perserverence because I was such a skinny kid so it took some work but I am up to 260. Oh, my thyroid is totally non-functioning but I take meds for that and from what I understand, thyroid disease may affect one's weight a tiny weeny bit but not much at all. I certainly don't think it has anything whatsoever to do with my mission to get fat. I won't go into my thoughts about Americans and their oral fixations. I have to go throw together a hot fudge sundae.
Don't forget the whipped cream.
May I have a seven layer burito with a diet coke please...oh yeh and a Choco Taco too please and thank you!
In my post I know I made light of our relationship with food, and Tim and Bongo, in turn, made light of my levity to such a degree that all this sounds like a train full of clowns, careening down the tracks highspeed and out of control. But I also made some serious comments about food, eating, and the role food plays in our lives.
Anyone else want to share your experience or insight??
Do you really believe they or we are choosing to become knuckle-dragging, fat slobs? Sure we choose what we eat and sure we choose to eat for Lot's of reasons.. Food is a comfort.. I eat to stuff my feelings.. if I'm eating I can enjoy this great tasting twinkie and not feel that crap..all I have to deal with is not being able to zip up my new jeans..I had a really stressful day so I drug out that pint of icecream and woofed it down,,, there all better now..But that phrase: Knuckle dragging, fat slobs just seems a bit harsh..IMHO(in my humble opinion)
Steve,
I don't know you personally but you seem angry to me. I don't mean that as an affront. I don't think blaming anyone for anything ever accomplishes anything. I don't think accusing fat slobs of choosing to be fat slobs is productive in any manner. People choose what they do but I certainly didn't say, I think I'll grow up and be a fat slob but I am fat. Food, it's purpose is to sustain life. In our society it is a political issue. It has to do with money and who can make or serve the biggest and best tasting food items. Portion size rose with sub prime mortgage sales. It all went nuts. And did you ever notice that poor people are much fatter than upper class people? Fattening food is much cheaper! It cost so much more to buy nutritious and lower calorie foods. It's all political. Americans eat to stuff feelings, to stay fat to avoid relationships, to kill time, to socialize, to fill voids, any number of things. The Bible and food, well... I was told as a youth, "Don't eat too much, gluttony is a sin." "Clean your plate, it's a sin to waste food." It was literally a conflict to figure out how much God would really allow me to eat.
Tim
I AM NOT ANGRY!!! i REPEAT--I AM NOT ANGRY!!!
OK??? WHAT WOULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOU THINK I'M AN ANGRY MAN??!!?? THE BIRDS ARE CHIRPING, FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING, THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC, AND I AM NOT ANGRY!!!
Okay, that made me laugh aloud.
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