Saturday, May 26, 2018

A Moral Solution

Overeating is a bitch of a problem with many causes. The solution is a moral choice to not eat, and learn to live hungry. Moral means : concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. It is doubtful if many people overeat intentionally, and for overeating to be a moral problem, that would need to be the case; therefore, overeating is not a moral problem, but the solution is a moral solution. But the only solution is to willfully not eat, or to willfully follow a food budget of some kind. That is the moral thing to do. There is a space between moral and immoral. That is where overeating for any of the many reasons falls.

That space between moral and immoral is the wild human space, the natural response zone, the untrained zone. There was a time when humans naturally did not have this fight, before electronics, mass two way communication, before we learned we had choices about how and where to live. I knew as a child I could not be happy as an adult in the desolate and savage life that I was born into, and knew that I had to leave, the sooner the better. That discontent may have been part of the food issue. Oh well.  

Overeating is the base problem of obesity, to beat obesity, one must first beat overeating.  Then, over time, the weight issue corrects itself. Well, that is the theory anyway.

When we examine the lives of those who have beaten overeating, we find find people who are strict with their food intake; some weight and/or measure every morsel, every taste. If it is not a scheduled time, all food is rejected. Some are so prickly rigid.  .  .   Those ripe berries are not picked, or picked and saved for the next meal, not picked and eaten. That single first asparagus spear will remain untasted until it becomes part of a meal. It is a way of life, not yet my life, that must come by moral choice. It is the choice, the response, that is moral, not the reaction to a physical desire, the craving, the hunger. The problem is not moral, the best solution is the most moral behavior.

Recovery from overeating is a difficult process, not well understood by those involved, those that suffer, nor those who try to help. It is not a single path to victory. It is not a clear path to victory... or even what victory look like. Some of the people are just miserable in recovery, for the lack of a better word. They are miserable to be around, and are best just avoided. Some of us recognize this fact, and try to isolate ourselves. Some of us are just uncomfortable all the time. Oh well, that is our nature, like Sisyphus rolling his bolder, we do not want to talk about it, but it would be nice if we can remain happy, satisfied, and enjoy life.

  

Monday, May 21, 2018

Causes of Overeating

In discussion, the question was asked. Here is a regurgitation the groups of " the causes of overeating" more or less:

Physical: A catch group for numerous mixed problems with a physical component. The subject may need to learn to live hungry, never being satisfied, always craving, if they wish to remain normal weight. Also note that hunger is normal on any weight loss diet. Hunger may (will) continue unabated for some, life becomes learning to live hungry.

Chemical: Chemical in the foods are providing a chemical addiction feed back loop. Foods containing trace amounts of opioids or proteins that break to opioid peptides. Think wheat as gladin proteins, and casein proteins as found in dairy products. Identify and remove the foods will help.

Emotional: Common, but often not recognized and becomes habit or deep conditioned. Overeating as a cooping method for a bad situation. This is an internal reaction to a real issue. The overeating may become habit, addiction, or epigenetic.

Environmental: The conditions imposed on the over-eater are extreme and are causing the overeating as a reaction/cooping method. These must be removed and then the overeating can be dealt with. It may have become habit, addiction, or epigenetic.

Willful: This is a moral / mental problem, and is likely a reaction to poor parenting, conditions, or other problems.

Addiction: This is usually chemical but may become habit, deep conditioning, or epigenetic. Remove the food, and then deal with the other issues. Addiction can also occur to the act of overeating, and to other chemicals, both in the food and internally produced. It can be similar to a "runners high", an adrenaline rush, serotonin high, or dopamine high. Insulin and sugar together provide a relaxing affect to some. Others just crave more food.

Habit, deep conditioned or epigenetic: These final states are not true causes, but are what the food issue has become through life. The only way to overcome these are my reconditioning to a small consistent diet, but that will be resisted by society and current life style habits. An life makeover may be required, a life of busy enjoyable activity, away from food... whatever that may actually look like. 
 

Please note that these are not firm nor scientific, but rather discussion based divisions.