I am confessing to you today about a secret addiction I have had all my life. I stayed away from the promiscuous sex, the dumbing alcoholism, and the emphasematic smoking, but I couldn't take my hands off food. I have eaten myself into oblivion and now I'm a pathetic fat blob.Have you ever seen the movie Super Size Me? I think it was stupid. It completely missed the point of helping people in America realize how over weight they've become. Sure we learned about how awful McDonald's food is if you eat it every day. But did that not teach us anything about the way we're eating?
I can't help myself anymore. I love food. It's a self-destructive passion. I long for perfectly crusted potatoes Au Gratin and a tenderly grilled rib eye steak. All the while, my arteries are screaming in anticipation of the cholesterol attack they are about to receive. Of course, if I could, i would couple this delectable meal with a crisp salad and an ice-cold soda and call it a day well spent. And the morning after... well, let's just say the scale and I are not friends.
The movement toward organic foods has begun to upset me. American foods have so many preservatives and trans fats in them that it has become virtually impossible to stay away from those cardio-killers without starting a new branch of food: organic. Does anyone remember the days when you actually grew your own herbs? My grandparents used to "hunt" their own meat? Now adays it comes to us perfectly packaged, color added, chemicals and hormones disguised. And when we eat the organic foods, they taste weird to us. What ever happened to the natural flavor of foods?
Here's the problem: we have an over abundance of supply. Americans have the ability to consume, and they exercise that ability to its maximum capacity. Look at buffets for example. There is no logic reason why we need to display so much food. But we do it because we can and because a lavishly stocked table has come to mean luxury, opulence, and greatness. All the while, the American people are growing in size. The Big and Tall-s and Lane Bryant-s of this world are enabling us even more. They're telling us it's ok to be so fat that we don't fit into mainstream clothing anymore. I'm not by any means encouraging the promotion of the anorexia we see displayed on TV. But let's be realistic... it's not even a matter of aesthetics anymore. I have chest pains at 24. I don't want to know what's causing them. That's my own denial...
What am I to do about this addiction? I love food. For me, it means reward, pleasure, opulence, happiness. How to I change that association? Any suggestions?
Join me, if you will, in a quest to free ourselves of the bad habit of eating. We should eat just enough to survive. I'm preaching like a hypocrite...
Hoping to set a better example,
--Sullivan
3 comments:
"The Big and Tall-s and Lane Bryant-s of this world are enabling us even more. They're telling us it's ok to be so fat that we don't fit into mainstream clothing anymore."
Hmm. Well I do have to say that at least the Lane Bryants have recognized that there are some people who do NOT fit into "regular" sized (who decides what's regular?) at least have a choice between two or three items that might look halfway nice.
I've been a "big girl" since about age 13 and I will tell you that going to high school in polyester dowdy clothing from Kmar* is no freaking fun at all.
I acknowledge that we live in a land of excess but that doesn't mean we have to stuff everything we see down our gullets. It does come down to some positive self-talk and am I *really* hungries but maybe I'll get it right one of these days. And maybe look nice while I'm doing it.
"they exercise" the ability to consume.
harhar! love it!
and i too love food. oh so very much. it was one of the great things about ex-bf, how we enjoyed food together. probably why i've been forgetting to eat lately, but i digress.
it's all about moderation. but who wants that when you can have one or twelve of everything on the buffet. mmmm, now i'm craving chinese.
(and thanks for the comment on my blog. much appreciated.)
You know I have this same struggle. It is hard because there is so much more to food than food. In my family, food meant love. When someone loved you, they didn't SAY they loved you (god forbid) but they made you a cake. See, LOVE!
I'm glad for Lane Bryant - without them I might be naked.
I think a lot of it has to do with computers. We have become a nation of sitters. The rise of obesity almost perfectly coincides with the rise of desktop computers...hmmm.
You have to love yourself more than the food, that's all it comes down to. Or just hate Greg...lol inside joke.
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