Willa at Quotidian reviews Dr. David Kessler's book The End of Overeating. (I am in line to get it through the library and haven't read it yet.) Paragraph splits are mine here for emphasis.
Kessler (the author of the book) mentions that over-eating is not JUST a problem with the overweight or obese population. Sure, it is the rapid climb in average weight of the American population since the 80's that has captured the attention of the medical community. But the phenomenon of over-eating does affect non-overweight people too.
He describes a person of normal weight who suffers from obsession and cravings similar to some other people who are overweight, and says that in one study, about 17% of the "lean" population (his word, not the one I'd use to describe myself even when my BMI is below 22) has food obsessions (compared to something like 45% of the overweight or obese people in the study).
Even if these "lean" people do not have the medical and other problems that come with overweight per se, they have some of the other issues — a fear of lack of control, spending excessive mental energy thinking about eating or planning eating, low self-esteem, the health problems that come from eating too much of the poorer quality of food that usually comes with obsessive or craving-oriented eating.
People like me who have been eating rather poorly since adolescence are probably more subject to other health problems even if this doesn't show up in the statistics as a food-related issue. And of course, there are the spiritual and emotional components. One doesn't really want food to be in control. Dr Kessler quotes several people, successful in their careers and lives, who feel heartbroken to be so out of control when faced with a bowl of M&Ms or a tray of fries.
I'm looking forward to reading Kessler's book in part because it is dawning on me that even though I am now of "normal" weight and this is evidence that I have learned many new skills in dealing with overeating, I likely will never be able to relax and eat intuitively, or in response to hunger, without recourse to additional control strategies. Even thin people overeat. I am now a "normal" person, but I still struggle with overeating, and I have to assume that I always will — not because I've given up hope, but rather because it isn't safe to assume I am safe.
Willa has a number of other observations up that are worth reading in subsequent posts. Check them out.
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