Kate, while I do think hunger is a natural part of...

2011-12-31T17:40:59.665-05:00

Kate, while I do think hunger is a natural part of the human experience I don't think we're seeing it the same way.

I cannot speak for the US, but in Oz, there is a r...

2011-12-26T14:09:31.312-05:00

I cannot speak for the US, but in Oz, there is a real tredn towards not allowing one's self to ever be hungry. Kids generally do not know what hunger feels like. They probably know all about undernourishment, in terms of inappropriate foods fuelling their body, but true gut wrenching hunger? No. We now place a 'bad' value on this feeling, but it merely one feeling of many that we experience over a lifetime. No better or worse than being overfull, sad, angry, pleased or well rested. My youngest son, 7, admitted of his own volition that he has no idea of what it means to be hungry.

There are states of being that we aim to be in: happy, well fed, etc; all the 'good' feelings of contributing to our overall sense of wellbeing and growth. I do not state or believe it is something to avoid, but it is somewhat artificial to be in these states permanently. I feel much more challenged by my ability to feel and experience life in its grand whole: the good, the bad and the inbetween. Like Winona Ryder's character in Girl, Interrupted said, I'd much prefer to be with life in all its complexity than to be removed, numbed or one faceted. Hunger is merely a state of being. Anorexia is a prolonged state of hunger.

I watch my boys as they grow and I have taken three approaches to their eating over the years. Being an anthropologist, I am keen to learn and observe. Also, I am anorexic and have massive eating disorders. I used to make the boys sit and eat what was on the plate. Didn't work. They rebelled and knew how to subvert my 'control'. Then I tried having them choose their food; they would not eat half the time. The best policy I have that is working is for me to simply attach NO value to food or anything to do with eating. They eat.

I have few rules, but I stick to them.

1) Food must be identifiable when I buy it or obtain it; land, sea or ground. No processed stuff, unless I make it at home.

2) Wide variety each day. Small amounts of everything, sweet savoury and all else.

3) Food is put on the table three times a day. Period. Nothing said other than food is ready. Snacks are their choice and they get/prepare them.

Our emotions are spoken of all the time and are removed from food. It seems the boys eat more, sleep better and develop their own boundaries. I hope this will prevent them from going through the horrors of disordered eating.

I choose to be in a state of mild hunger a lot of the time. It IS better than being anorexic hungry and it affords me a chance to absorb all the nutirents from my food. It also means I am in control of my body's power and abilities. My oldest son noted that he likes not being fat for it allows him to climb, run fast and be agile. He knows hunger and is a well rounded, empathetic person. He faces what life throws at him and simply shrugs his shoulders. I learn a lot from him.

I think that an inability to know how famine feels and how to cope with it is doing an injustice to ourselves and our children. We teach them how to cross a road, under all circumstances: whether there are traffic lights, loads of cars, deserted streets, congested by motorbikes etc. These are survival skills. Feast and famine survivial are survivial skills too, but how many of us know how to respond HEALTHILY to them?

Comments on Laura's Soap Box: famine: it's a bad thing

Kate, while I do think hunger is a natural part of...

I cannot speak for the US, but in Oz, there is a r...