Food on Your Mind Much (Always)?

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For those of you who chronically diet, have bulimia or anorexia nervosa or binge eat you probably have a fairly good idea by what I mean by “food preoccupation”. Food preoccupation is when you spend A LOT of time thinking about food—what you are going to eat, if you are going to eat, worrying about choosing the “wrong or right” foods or how the food is going to affect your body weight.  Sure it is normal to think about food on a daily basis: what you want to eat, when, etc. But, when you spend much of your day worrying about food then if feels more like “food preoccupation”.

Why do people with eating problems tend to have food preoccupation?
I think there is a variety of reasons why eating problems increase preoccupation with food.  Food restriction (dieting, eating disorders usually involve food restriction) has been proven to contribute to food preoccupation (See Ancel Keys’ study for details). Since food is a basic need for survival our biology wants us to think about food, so there is a greater chance of procuring and eating food thus survival.Psychological reasons may contribute to food preoccupation. For example for some it may be “easier” or less painful to worry about food than other painful feelings. Worrying about food may give people a sense of control, because in other areas of there life they may feel powerless. Others may think that if they have a “perfect body” their life will be much improved and feel more confident about themselves. And believe food is away to achieve this. These are just a few examples of what purpose food preoccupation may serve for people. Food preoccupation is not something to panic about or try to rid yourself of it ASAP, but just notice when you may be worrying about food a little too much.
In my next post I will discuss strategies to reduce food preoccupation.

 

Three of My Favorite Books

I have included a few of my favorite reads here for people who want to get off the diet roller coaster.  These resources offer a new perspective on how to approach food and weight.  They offer no quick fixes or “magic bullets”, but rather an exciting new way to look at food and weight.Studies have shown reading (or “bibliotherapy” as us counselors call it) can be an effective tool to augment treatment for compulsive overeating, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Happy reading!!!

9781250004048_p0_v1_s260x420 Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA

This is a wonderful book.  Tribole and Resch share with readers how to give up dieting for good, listen to their body for hunger and fullness cues and legalize all foods.  It is a must read!

 

 

 

 

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Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon, PhD

I have heard great things about this book.  I have not yet read this book (It is on my list.), but I have had the privilege of hearing Dr. Bacon speak at a professional conference.  She presented compelling information about body weight.  Bacon indicates that weight plays a much less important role in health than the media and health care providers lead us to believe.  Bacon teaches readers how to keep themselves healthy despite body weight.  

 

when-women-stop-hating-their-bodiesWhen Women Stop Hating their Bodies by Jane R. Hirschmann & Carol H. Munter.

The title says it all.  This is a very empowering book!

Binge Eating Disorder Inclusion into the DSM-5

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Binge Eating Disorder (BED) will be introduced as its own stand alone eating disorder, joining anorexia and bulimia nervosa in the fifth edition of the DSM, expecting to be published this May.

The DSM (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) compiled by the American Psychiatric Association provides criteria of diagnosis of mental disorders.

Since 1994, binge eating has been considered an Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified in the appendix of DSM-IV. More research was needed to determine the characteristics of those who have binge eating disorder. In other words, BED wasn’t its own diagnosis has been one barrier for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

Moving binge eating from the appendix into its own category of illness means…

There will be an INCREASE in:

AWARENESS. Among sufferers, the public, and among medical and mental health providers .
TREATMENT. More people will likely be accurately diagnosed and seek treatment.
INSURANCE COVERAGE. Insurance carriers are more likely to pay for treatment.
RECOVERY. More people seeking treatment can mean an increase in recovery.

By Melinda Sen-Wah Lau, Guest Blogger.
Edited by Alison Pelz, LCSW, RD, LD, CDE