Media Affects Emotional Eating, Too

Sunday April 22, 2007

It occurred to me the other day that we talk very little about how the media affects emotional eating.

Watching most (all?) commercials for food and restaurants, one would think that ecstasy is as close as your supermarket or local bistro. But what would happen if a restaurant's ads matched up with what happened inside over a typical dinner hour?

Imagine: There's a man in a booth who just downed a bite of lasagna. He's laughing so hard at someone's joke that he can barely choke it down! What lively conversation... And at the table in the middle of the room is a family that cheers wildly when the food reaches the table! In a dimly lit corner is a woman (usually) who alternates bites of dessert with facial expressions that powerfully display pleasure, anticipation, and even relief.

The message is clear: Eating makes you feel better.

What do you see when you go out to eat? Often, you'll see couples who chew with no expressions at all. They don't talk. Parents, out of necessity, struggle to get their children to eat--or to behave well enough not to embarrass them. And women eating dessert often preface almost every bite with, "Oh, this is horrible; I shouldn't be eating this." They feel worse and worse with each spoonful.

The tricky part of a discussion on this is that we were made to experience food in such a way that it is enjoyed.

I wonder what would happen if we tried to get into the reality shown in the ads? Wouldn't it amaze the wait staff at your favorite lunch stop if you exclaimed your approval each time something tasted good? It would mean that you took the time to taste it thoroughly...which would mean that you would enjoy it more while needing less food to be satisfied.

It would also mean that we would spend less time settling for mediocre, tasteless food.