Oversimplification Gone Wrong: Why Healing Your Relationship with Food is Not “Just Eat When You're Hungry”
By Katherine Metzelaar, MSN, RDN, CD
Think about the last time you felt really sad, really sad.
And now imagine during this time everyone around you was talking about how easy it was to be happy and constantly offering advice about how to not feel sad. In fact, when you tried to tell people that it’s more complex, they respond with, “but I am happy, so you can be happy to!” Your emotional experience was chalked up to a choice while dismissing the complexities and the depths of your feelings. “Just be happy,” they said, “that’s all it takes.”
But you know that when you are feeling sad having people tell you, like the scenario above, to “just be happy” can be devastating and incredibly oversimplified. And, “just eat when you are hungry” is no different.
Let me explain.
Diet programs disguised as “lifestyle overhauls” or “healthy eating programs” use language from mindful eating and intuitive eating as a way to promote their product or program.
If market research shows that something is “trending” then industries adapt their marketing speak to sell more products or programs. And it makes sense for them because they are trying to sell a product. And, it makes sense for you to be drawn toward them as the allure of “never having to diet” again is a welcomed relief especially if it’s marketed as being “quick and easy.” But these advice giving organizations (yes, sometimes individuals too) are missing some important things that makes “just eat when you are hungry” not possible…at first.
You see, your body needs enough energy from food in order to produce hunger hormones (yes, hunger is produced by a hormone called ghrelin). And in the context of undernourishment, the body is very savvy at allocating its energy and resources. If it’s not getting enough energy from food, it prioritizes functions in the body that are necessary for survival that require tons of energy, like your heart beat, temperature regulation, and liver/kidney function, and stops prioritizing the production of the hunger cues.
Now, you may be thinking: “But I eat plenty and I am not “underweight,” so this doesn’t apply to me!” Unfortunately body size and kcals dictated by problematic tracking apps (I see you myfitnesspal), does not tell us much. Undernourishment does not exclusively occur in the very thin bodies that you see portrayed in the media. Undernourishment can, and does, occur in ALL size bodies. And, not all bodies need the same amount of energy, especially after restricting energy intake (food) for some time.
So in this way, until your body is adequately nourished waiting to eat “until you are hungry” will not work. “Just eat when you are hungry” can be a recipe for disaster and you could go long periods of time without eating.
Another reason why “just eating when you are hungry” is oversimplified and misses nuance is because you may be disconnected from your body.
There are all kinds of really valid reasons disconnection from the body occurs over time, such as chronic dieting, trauma, disordered eating, anxiety, depression,eating disorders, and much more. And, if you are not connected to your body, the expectation to “just eat when you are hungry” doesn’t work if you don’t know, or feel, the signs and signals your body is sending you when it’s hungry. The phrase becomes a bit silly when we think about it in this context.
Honoring your hunger invites to you to learn what it’s like to feel hunger (and this is not just stomach hunger, btw). Sounds simple on paper, but it’s quite complex. Learning the nuances of how you experience hunger, and how to honor it, takes time. Time being a key word here. “Just eat when you are hungry” is a quick fix, a promise of resolution to your suffering in just a few months, or sometimes weeks. It ignores the first steps that need to be taken to practice “eating when you are hungry,” like re-nourishing the body and establishing a greater connection to the body. Not to mention it dismisses all the difficulties and complexities of learning how to honor your hunger.
So while establishing a new, trusting, and liberating relationship with food is not quick fix and make take longer then programs or individuals that tell you to “just eat when you are hungry,” I promise you that the work that you will be lasting.
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Are you struggling to redefine your relationship with food?
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