Eating Disorders and Our Relationship with Food

by Lashell Hoover | More from this Blogger

04 Mar 2007 05:46 PM

Did you know that binge eating is more common than anorexia or bulimia? A national survey was conducted by psychiatric researchers at Harvard University Medical School and McLean Psychiatric Hospital. Of the people surveyed, 3.5% of women and 2% of men were binge eating (eating beyond the point of fullness without vomiting). The results for those suffering from anorexia were .9% of women and .3% of men. Those suffering from bulimia were 1.5% of women and .5% of men. Nine thousand people were interviewed for this survey. It's likely that the number of people suffering from these eating disorders is higher because some people are ashamed to admit they have a problem.

The average lifetime duration for those suffering from binge eating was 8.1 years, bulimia was 8.3 years, and anorexia was 1.7 years. A BMI of 40 or greater is associated with lifetime binge eating. Also, having a BMI of 40 or higher is considered severely obese. Some symptoms of binge eating disorder are: overeating, eating when not hungry, eating in secret, self-loathing about eating, and no regurgitation of food.

Does the way we view food contribute to binge eating? Are advertising and promotional gimmicks part of the problem? These were the questions I asked myself after reading about a pub that wanted the world record for the largest burger. Here are the details.

Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pennsylvania made a beef burger sandwich that weighed 123 pounds. They hold the title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hamburger. The sandwich had 120,000 calories. It consisted of: one 80 pound beef patty, 160 American cheese slices, 5 onions, 12 tomatoes, and a pound each of lettuce, ketchup, relish, mustard, and mayonnaise. The 30 pound bun contained 2 pounds of banana peppers and was topped with 33 pickles.

Restaurants are famous for large portions, but this is a bit extreme. Proceeds from the sale of the burger were for charity. I wonder who buys a burger that size and with that many calories?

In other news, Joey Chestnut was the $4,000, first place winner of the chili cheese fries eating contest held aboard the Queen Mary. He ate 5.44 pounds of chili cheese fries in ten minutes.

I don't understand why eating contests are so popular? If we're going to be a healthier nation, we need to look at our relationship with food. How we view eating and what we choose to eat impacts our health. No occasion calls for a 120,000 calorie burger on a bun. Likewise, there shouldn't be an amount high enough for someone to choose to gorge on food.

Learn more about Lashell Hoover

Lashell Hoover lives in Maryland with her husband, three children, and beloved pets. A former SAHM, she is currently a full-time university student. She enjoys writing, reading, music, art, and life.

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