9781422288429

often. You may not consider nutritional value at all. You’d rather load your lunch tray or dinner plate with foods that tempt your taste buds or make you feel good. Think about when you eat. Do you eat only when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full? Many people don’t. Why? Because physical need isn’t the only reason we eat, especially in North America. Look back over the past seven days. Did you graze on junk food because you were bored or lonely? Did you “clean your plate” because you didn’t want to waste food or offend someone? Did frustration lead you to gorge on cookies or candy bars? Maybe stress drove you to devour more food than you really wanted. Again, if you’re like the average person, you’ve probably experienced these eating patterns at least once in the past week.

14 / Emotions & Eating