That's a big burger
So last night I had a final exam. The class was run as a pilot program for the University and so to celebrate, they bought pizzas for the entire class. I planned ahead and ate a nice dinner of salmon and spinach before going so that I would not be hungry. This allowed me to observe a phenomenon.
I watched as overweight after obese after overweight person went up and loaded… and I mean LOADED their plates up with pizza. We are talking 3-4 slices of pizza at a time. These were not small slices either.
One women piled 5 pieces of pizza on her plate, immediately took a bite and then waddled back to her seat not realizing that cheese was hanging from her mouth and falling off her plate. It was sick and sad at the same time.
It was like people thought that if they didn’t stock up in that one run, they were never going to have the opportunity to eat pizza again. It is ok to take a slice and if you are still hungry… go back for another. Heck that extra trip up to the food source maybe even count as exercise (exaggeration of course). What happens when you tell yourself “I know that I am going to eat 4 slices of pizza so I might as well get them all now”? Well for one… you are most likely going to eat 4 slices of pizza!
What do you think causes this phenomenon? Well, for one… people are eating too much food. There could be several reasons for this, i.e. grains and sugars causing hormone spikes and keeping people hungry, larger portions at restaurants and fast food joints etc. but I think there are other factors as well. I personally think part of it is caused by a socially competitive environment. People tend to be getting more selfish when it comes to food. I think that people have started to think “If I don’t get my 4 slices now, Sally is going to take 4 slices and there wont be more left if I am still hungry”. I wonder where this comes from because there was plenty of pizza. I see this even in family dinner type environments. People hoarding food because they fear that someone else might take the last roll that they are eying. I do also wonder how much the “free food” factor plays into people gorging themselves.
It really is ok to eat a little at a time. Food is still pretty abundant these days. Take a little and then, if you are hungry.. go back for more people!
What are your thoughts?
*edit* I love pizza too which is why I created a delicious and suprisingly healthy SoG Primal Pizza recipe!
December 17th, 2008 - 8:41 am
I’m thinking it’s a combination whammy where the social competition is fueled by the “grains and sugars causing hormone spikes and keeping people hungry”. The carb-addicted obese (my former self included) are used to the feeling of not having enough to eat and still being hungry after eating [insert smaller portion here] of pasta/pizza/bread/cake, so they stock up to try to make sure ahead of time that they’re going to get ‘enough’.
December 17th, 2008 - 8:56 am
Sarah,
Good observation. Maybe the two do fall hand in hand!
December 17th, 2008 - 11:41 am
I would agree with you on the socially competitive front. It’s sad that so many people these days think that if “he/she” gets what “he/she” wants, that means I’m not going to get what I want. This is a terrible way to look at the world, leading to negativity, fear and eventually resentment.
My father always told me that there is a cornucopia of opportunity in the world, and that all you have to do is identify what you want and then find out how to get it! You don’t need to worry about what “that” person is doing, just worry about yourself.
Hahaha, now who’s ranting?!
Thanks for the post!
All the Best,
Andrew R
December 17th, 2008 - 11:47 am
Andrew,
Your father has some good points. I think you are right too in that this attitude builds on itself and spreads. It may sound corny but it all goes back to the philosophy of know thyself. Focus more inward on what you can acheive and improving ourself and less outward on others.
The SoG
December 17th, 2008 - 12:45 pm
I think most Americans pay very little attention to their food. If you’ve ever read Mindless Eating, you know what I’m talking about. You have a lot of control over how you perceive what you are eating. I eat off of salad plates and dessert bowls. I use a food scale to weigh out portions of calorically dense foods. I pause between bites. I turn off the TV when I eat so that I am paying attention to my meal. You can do so much for yourself simply by paying attention. I completely agree that social competition is an element in the pizza grabbing, but I would also argue there’s a disconnect for people between OMG I’M HUNGRY RIGHT NOW and the consequences of that reaction. How many of them do you think thought about the taste? Or how hungry they were? Or how eating the pizza might make them feel later?
December 17th, 2008 - 12:48 pm
Rachel,
Again good points. I also don’t know if they connect the dots that the sleep, bloating unpleasant feeling they have later is even BECAUSE they ate the pizza.
December 17th, 2008 - 1:56 pm
Another factor…. FREE FOOD.
I see it all the time, just because it’s free people load up.
Crazy really.
Marc
December 17th, 2008 - 9:47 pm
Man, I miss pizza. I need to bust out the primal recipe.
December 17th, 2008 - 9:50 pm
Marc,
Totally.. witnessed it again tonight when we worked late so the boss got everyone pizza. Actually I feel almost guilty myself for NOT eating the free food!
December 17th, 2008 - 9:50 pm
Roger De Rok,
Wife and I are having you over for primal pizza sometime in the near future. Its awesome… you need to give it a whirl.
December 18th, 2008 - 5:30 am
oh I SO want primal pizza.
and agree with you. it is hard as food is so abundant and yet so many are nutritionally STARVING because the food is such crap.
sad.
December 18th, 2008 - 8:09 am
Mizfit,
You still haven’t made primal pizza!?!??!
December 19th, 2008 - 3:24 pm
Super interesting- I’m went through something like this as my new job orders lunch for everyone everyday. At first I wanted to order something from every menu, thinking that I wasn’t going to get equally as great options the next day. So every day I had way too much food, and what did I do? Naturally I ate it all. Thank god I finally realized this is something that’s going to come daily and made healthier choices- and found the healthiest, most primal things I can order daily!
Next step – primal pizza!
December 19th, 2008 - 5:43 pm
Brynith,
It is an easy spiral to fall into huh?
December 19th, 2008 - 10:52 pm
OMG!!!!!!
You just classified me and it scared the hell out of me. I am so that type of person that will take heaps of food because Im afraid that it will all be gone if I don’t. Even if there is lots there. I can only explain it in that I came from a family where there was never quite enough food to eat and so it installed in me this drive to get as much as I can when I can. Thats the psychology. The physiology was I was eating lots of carbs and so that was making me hungry all the time. NOt a good mix at all.
December 20th, 2008 - 9:24 am
Dr Dan,
I totally think it is something that is bred into us and is probably being MORE bred into people these days. I can see how it might be the byproduct of scarcity… but scarcity in food doesn’t exist widespread these days in the U.S. so I am not sure. Maybe you can relate this to one of your wildlife animals social behavior?