Food

I know that food has become a part of our culture, the obsession of eating right, eating wrong, not eating, overeating. There are famous people that are ridiculed for their weight, Oprah, Tyra Banks, Kirstie Alley and several others. I have friends that have weight challenges just like me and I don't post blogs that say, "Suzy looks like thunder thighs when spotted at church on Sunday." Is there nothing sacred. Do I think this country has a food issue, "yes" I believe that food is an obsession, a disease, and a major problem. When you go to a school and 23% or more of the students are diabetic and or overweight it is not just an issue but an epidemic. I then look at junior high and high school students in which we have about the same percentage that have some kind of eating disorder. I cannot help but be saddened and wonder when we decided to let food become our God and rather than maintain a healthy lifestyle we chose to use it to socialize, survive, cope and even to mourn. Whatever the situation food was ever present and considered a necessity.

I confess I am as guilty as the next one. I suffer from the disorder of food obsessed. I get angry, I get hungry, happy=hungry and name an emotion, I get hungry. I realize that this is something I must try to work on and something that I must control. I did not realize the epidemic fully until I was much older. The disease of food addiction is a similar one to that of an alcoholic, drug addict and every other addiction. However though those who suffer from those addictions may disagree, you cannot simply stop eating food. Hear me out. I cannot say to myself or someone else, " I will never again touch food." I can say, " I will not touch sugar, fat or starches." I cannot abstain from eating period. I want to maintain control and remain in control. I want to look at food for sustinance, and nutrition not survival and comfort.