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Rediscover normal eating

Reprinted from Children and Teens Afraid to Eat, page 224


Normal eating nurtures wellness


What is normal eating?

  • Normal eating is usually eating at regular times, typically three meals and one or two snacks to satisfy hunger. It is regulated mostly by internal signals of hunger, appetite, satiety — we eat when hungry and stop when satisfied.

How does it promote health and well-being?

  • Normal eating enhances our feelings of well-being. We eat for health and energy, also for pleasure and social reasons, and afterward, we feel good.
  • Normal eating means that food choices more likely provide variety, moderation, and balanced nutrition.
  • Normal eating promotes clear thinking and mood stability. It fosters healthy relationships in family, work, school, and community. Thoughts of food, hunger, weight occupy only a small part of day (perhaps 10 to 15 percent).
  • Normal eating nurtures good health, vibrant energy, and the healthy growth and development of children. It promotes stable weights, within a wide range, expressing both genetic and environmental factors.

How does it differ from dysfunctional eating?

  • Dysfunctional or disordered eating patterns are irregular and chaotic (fasting, bingeing, dieting, skipping meals), or may mean usually overeating or undereating much more or less than the body wants or needs. Instead of feeling better after eating, the person is likely to feel worse.
  • Feeling fatigued, irritable, moody, chilled, less able to concentrate, and increasingly self-absorbed is common. Thoughts of food, hunger, and weight may occupy 20 to 65 percent of waking hours, or more. Potential health problems vary depending on the dysfunction. Risk of developing eating disorders is increased.

How parents encourage normal eating

  1. Offer a variety of nutritious food at regular intervals — planned meals and snacks.
  2. Help the child identify hunger and fullness.
  3. Be a good example of normal, healthy eating and lifestyle.
  4. Follow Ellyn Satter’s Golden Rule for Parenting with Food:
      5. a. Parents are responsible for what is presented to eat and the manner in which it is  presented. 
      b. Children are responsible for how much and even whether they eat.


Reprinted from Children and Teens Afraid to Eat: Helping Youth in Today’s Weight-Obsessed World, by Frances M. Berg, page 224. Copyright 1997. All rights reserved. This special feature may be used as a handout or in nonprofit newsletters for educational purposes when printed with this citation. It may not be reprinted in books or publications for sale or on the Internet without written permission from the publisher. Published by Healthy Weight Network, 402 South 14th Street, Hettinger, ND 58639 (701-567-2646; Fax 701-567-2602) website: www.healthyweight.net

 
 

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Top 10 reasons not to diet


  1. Diets don’t work. You lose weight and gain it right back, often regaining more than you lost (weight cycling).

    2.  
  2. Dieting is dangerous and causes many deaths and injuries every year.

    3.  
  3. Diets are expensive and without value.

    4.  
  4. Dieting causes fatigue, lightheadedness, saps your energy and strength.

    5.  
  5. Dieting disrupts normal eating, causes bingeing, overeating and chaotic feeding pattern.

    6.  
  6. Dieting increases food preoccupation, so half your day or more is spent thinking about food and weight.

    7.  
  7. Dieting diminishes women, subverting their dreams and ambitions, keeping them playing the anticipation game. There’s a lot more to life than this.

    8.  
  8. Dieting stunts the growth and development of young people, mentally, emotionally and physically.

    9.  
  9. Dieting increases size prejudice, makes people more judgmental and critical of themselves and others. 

    10.  
  10. Dieting lowers self-esteem, feelings of well-being. Instead, accepting and respecting yourself as you are brings confidence, health and a sense of wellness and wholeness.


Reprinted from Women Afraid to Eat: Breaking Free in Today’s Weight-Obsessed World, by Frances M. Berg, page 65. Copyright 2000. All rights reserved.  This special feature may be used as a handout or in nonprofit newsletters for educational purposes when printed with this citation. It may not be reprinted in books or publications for sale or on the Internet without written permission from the publisher. Published by Healthy Weight Network, 402 South 14th Street, Hettinger, ND 58639 (701-567-2646; Fax 701-567-2602) website: www.healthyweight.net

 
 
 
 

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Celebrate Health at Any Size

 

ENJOY  LIVING  ACTIVEL Y

  • Be active your way, every day
  • Move for the sheer joy and power of it, for time spent with family, friends, nature
  • Celebrate activity as a natural part of your life; fitness feels good
  • Be creative — enjoy movement throughout the day 
  • Enjoy the benefits — increase your energy, relieve stress, sleep better, strengthen bones, improve health and resistance to illness
  • Help your body regulate — when you’re active it’s easier to know when you’re hungry and when you’re full
  • Fitness not weight is the key to longevity
  • Add years to your life, and life to your years. Take time to care for yourself
  • Share the benefits with family and friends. Have more fun!

ENJOY  EATING  WELL

  • Take pleasure in eating. Think of food as  a friend — celebrate, enjoy, taste, savor
  • Emphasize regular meals and include the foods you like
  • Listen to your body — go to the table hungry, eat till you’re full
  • Enjoy a balance of the 5 food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and alternates, milk (see the Food Guide Pyramid) 
  • Meet your body’s energy and nutrient needs
  • Learn to like new foods — enjoy variety
  • Maintain a stable, diet-free lifestyle
  • Tailor your taste toward foods moderate in fat, sugars, salt
  • All foods can fit — there are no bad foods
  • Trust your body to make up for “mistakes”
  • Enjoy family meals and home cooking 
ACCEPT AND RESPECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS

 ~  Celebrate and enjoy your unique self    ~   Identify your strengths, talents, interests and build on your assets    ~   Nurture yourself. Take time for yourself every day    ~   Relax and relieve stress in your life    ~   Trust yourself    ~   Make peace with your genetic blueprint    ~   Like yourself regardless of imperfections    ~   Wear clothes that fit comfortably and look and feel good now    ~   Accept that there is no ideal body size    ~   Recognize that each person is responsible for taking care of his or her own body    ~   Trust your ability to make choices for better health    ~   To improve habits, if you choose, make small changes over time you can live with    ~   Take what works for you, leave the rest    ~   Stay in tune with your body    ~   Be flexible, go with the flow    ~   Focus on quality of life, health and well-being    ~   Use positive language, think of joy, self-discovery, acceptance, respect, self-care, healing, freedom, fun, celebrate

  ~  Beauty, health and strength come in all sizes    ~   Accept, respect and celebrate diversity in size, shape, age, ethnicity, talent and ability    ~  People of all sizes have healthy lifestyles and unlimited horizons    ~   Size prejudice hurts everyone    ~   Think critically of media messages that portray unrealistic standards and suggest happiness is based on appearance    ~   Help people feel good about their bodies and about who they are    ~   Emphasize the positives in thought and action — you’ll help others when you listen, accept, respect, heal, empower, encourage, motivate, inspire, counsel, guide, validate, appreciate, laugh, share, have fun together

“I can if I choose”
 

Developed by Frances M. Berg with adaptations from Vitality, Health Canada, and Linda Omichinski’s HUGS programs, and credits to dietitians Ellyn Satter, Dayle Hayes, Nancy King, Karin Kratina and Gail Marchessault. Reprinted from Women Afraid to Eat. Copyright 2000 by Frances M. Berg, All rights reserved.

This special feature may be used as a handout or in nonprofit newsletters for educational purposes when printed with this citation. It may not be reprinted in books or publications for sale or on the Internet without written permission from the publisher. Published by Healthy Weight Network, 402 S. 14th St., Hettinger, ND 58639 (701-567-2646; fax: 701-567-2602), www.healthyweight.net

 
 
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