Actually, it would be quite simple: we eat when we are hungry and stop when we are full. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Often we don’t have the time to eat properly, or we don’t feel comfortable with our weight and want to lose weight. But dieting can end with eating disorders. And hectic eating is often associated with an unhealthy diet. In this context, it is interesting to find out whether one’s own eating behavior is correct. Questions such as “Why do I eat?” or “When and how much do I eat?” should be asked in order to find out one’s own eating type, because it is not always just the growling stomach that gives us a reason to eat.
Social and cultural norms determine eating behavior
Even in infancy, eating rituals determine our everyday life. Set meals, but also rules from our parents such as “Eat your plate empty” or “If you’re good, you’ll get something sweet” trigger feelings in us that we associate with food. This can be positive, for example when eating lunch together as a family, but it can also create unfavorable eating habits.
Eating behavior is increasingly determined by such external stimuli as we reach puberty. Hunger, desire and frustration can no longer be clearly distinguished as reasons for eating, for example when eating out of anger or boredom. Numerous studies show that people who are overweight are too influenced by these or similar external stimuli.
Conscious control can change eating habits
Through conscious cognitive control, adults or adolescents can suddenly change their eating behavior and challenge years of eating habits. Here, bad decisions are particularly drastic when dietary changes are made without regard to actual physical needs and signals. It is therefore important to obtain the right knowledge before making major changes in eating behavior, for example by visiting a doctor beforehand.
Every person carries many eating types in himself. In most cases, one main type and one or two secondary types can be determined. For example, the mood-dependent eater, who tends to eat in excess and whose eating behavior is strongly determined by his personal emotional state, can become a restrained eater if he follows longer diets. Or the hectic eater from Monday to Friday may turn into a foodie on the weekend.
Exercise and a healthy diet are important
Take time to eat, prefer to consume foods rich in fiber and vitamins, and get enough exercise. However, you should not lose the pleasure of eating in the process. You don’t always have to eat salad when everyone else is indulging in a rich meal with delicious dessert, because small eating sins now and then are forgiven by our figure if we otherwise pay attention to when and what we eat.
Take the eating test! With this little test, you can learn more about your own eating habits and find out whether you are eating right! And here you can go to the eating type test.
