We’ve all been there. Doubting ourselves after that third chocolate chip cookie, feeling anxious after eating a few too many chicken fingers at late night, or falling victim to the excessive guilt associated with “bad” foods. What happened to the good old days when we were kids – munching on cookies, macaroni and cheese, pizza, and pasta without a care in the world? We ate what we wanted, in moderation as regulated by our parents, and stopped eating when we were full.
Unfortunately, we’ve become obsessed with body image and the path to achieve the American ideal of perfection. Restrictive diets might seem reasonable at first, but upon closer inspection, these diets create “good” and “bad” foods leading to the psychological phenomenon known as food guilt. This food guilt phenomenon is extremely apparent on college campuses where collegiettes are trying to discover the balance between diet, exercise and weight maintenance all while enjoying the best four years of our lives.
What is Food Guilt?
While food guilt is natural in small doses, you might be surprised to learn that it can be classified as a psychological disorder as soon as it starts interfering with daily, routine activities. In its most severe form, food guilt is associated with disordered eating, ranging from binge eating to purging. However, it is important to note that food guilt exists on a less severe level as well.
To a certain extent, food guilt is completely normal. We all over-indulge a bit too much every now and then, whether that means eating too much ice cream or enjoying that third, or even fourth, slice of pizza. Over-indulging happens and that is okay. However, if every single meal is a battle with excessive guilt, shame and potential regret, then this might be something more serious. Evelyn Tribole, co-author of Intuitive Eating, can pinpoint where this overwhelming guilt begins: Not being at peace with food. She explains, “If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing. When you finally ‘give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in ‘Last Supper’ overeating and overwhelming guilt.”
Sheila Tucker, a dietician at Boston College, says that it is important to recognize and deal with the beginning stages of food guilt before it turns into something more serious, like disordered eating. She explains, “Disordered eating can be a way that some people cope with emotional feelings when they cannot directly deal with those feelings. Whether or not food guilt itself as a single factor could lead to disordered eating would depend on why the food guilt exists in the first place and the person’s overall emotional health.”
Origins of Food Guilt
So where did this food guilt trend come from? According to nutrition therapist Lynn Penrose, it is a construct of our society and a direct result of the media’s influence. This might be hard to admit, but magazines, television shows, movies, books, and celebrities influence us whether we like it or not. Instead of promoting moderation and occasional healthy indulgence, the media has led us to believe that indulgence is a bad thing. Diets are built around this idea of avoiding indulgence all together, labeling foods as either “good” or “bad.” We are conditioned to avoid all of the “bad” foods and feel ashamed when we give in to the temptation.
Tucker explains, “labeling food ‘good’ and ‘bad’ or ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ appeals to the all-or-nothing mentality that many folks have regarding food and health. This philosophy makes people feel badly if they think they made a ‘bad’ choice – as in wrong or right. Student clients will say things like ‘I am so bad, I ate XYZ’. Food choices don’t make you a bad person – but that is how many people, especially women, talk to themselves.”
Some wise collegiettes have already figured this out for themselves. Kathleen Kalinksy, a sophomore at James Madison University, explains, “I have found that if I want a dessert, I don’t tell myself that it is bad because it’s really not as long as it’s all in moderation.”
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Avoiding Food Guilt
1. Redefine the terms “good,” “bad,” “healthy,” and “unhealthy.” In doing this, a healthy balance will be created and a new perspective on food will follow. Tucker emphasizes, “In nutrition, it is a matter of balance. I encourage students to not put every food under the microscope for a ‘good/bad’ evaluation, but instead pull back the lens and look at eating over several days to see how it balances. Not every food eaten has to be low fat, low calorie, high fiber, or full of vitamins and minerals. There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, just ‘good’ and ‘bad’ diets.”
Leah Tully, a junior at University of New Hampshire, is a nutrition major who has some experience with food guilt. She explains, “As a nutrition major, it’s natural for me to label some foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ To prevent myself from experiencing food guilt, I like to allow myself to have whatever I want in smaller portions. If I’m at a graduation party or a summer BBQ, I know it is okay to enjoy a soda or a fudgy brownie as long as the majority of my eating remains healthy. Everything in moderation.”
2. Remember that food is pleasure. Savor it and enjoy every bite. If you know you are going to indulge, then plan ahead to avoid feeling out-of-control. When you want to splurge, choose something that you really enjoy. For example, enjoy a slice of your favorite cake or a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Also, savor your indulgences by eating slowly to ensure that you fully enjoy every bite. That Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food will taste better if you slowly eat a scoop rather than devour an entire pint in 10 minutes.
Kristin Pye, a student at McGill University, has learned to allow herself to indulge. She explains, “When I get together for a girls’ night with a good foodie friend of mine, it’s always my instinct to suggest low-fat ice cream, or diet soda, but my foodie friend will not have it! She insists that when you choose to indulge a little, you must allow yourself to actually indulge a bit. If you allow yourself an inch here and there ahead of time, you won’t feel out-of-control when you do indulge because you will have ‘cleared’ it beforehand, in a sense.”
3. Honor your biological hunger. If you are hungry, then eat! Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Tribole explains, “If you are unable to honor your hunger, and instead delay eating, you may wind up too hungry and eat with an intensity that scares you – or you may overeat leading you to feel guilty.”
Alexandra Court, a sophomore at The College of William and Mary, was reminded by the movie Ratatouille that the primary purpose of eating is for fuel. She explains, “The best food advice I ever heard was from watching Ratatouille, believe it or not. I like when the father rat says ‘food is fuel’ because it’s true. You should eat foods that will help your body function and give you enough energy for whatever you like to do. Your body needs certain vitamins and minerals that you can only get through certain foods. As long as I remember this while I am eating, I don’t suffer any food guilt.”
4. Remove all judgment about your eating choices. We eat out of necessity to survive, not to define ourselves. It is important to keep this in mind. As Tribole explains, “You are not good or bad based on what you eat. Your values and personhood don’t take a dive just because you ate onion rings.”
5. Learn From Experience. If you were unable to control yourself at 10pm last night in the presence of a sleeve of Oreos, then remove the temptation so it doesn’t happen again. This removes any chance of feeling guilty, ashamed, or regretful. Try to work backwards and analyze what triggered you to eat those Oreos. Was it emotion or stress? Were you bored? Tribole says, “By framing an event in the context of learning, you will gain some insight and value from the experience. The ability to explore and grow also helps you to let go of the event.”
Experiencing food guilt from time to time is natural. As Rachel Lytle, a collegiette at Penn State University pointed out, “Eat Pray Love. It’s Perfect.” Besides the phrase being an excellent mantra for cultivating a positive relationship with food, the movie featuring Julia Roberts acknowledges the food guilt phenomenon. Roberts’s character was able to rise above any feelings of regret and embrace the pleasurable experience of eating delicious Italian foods. She states, “I’m so tired of saying no, and waking up in the morning and recalling everything I ate the day before – counting every calorie I consumed so I know exactly how much self-loathing to take into the shower. I’m going for it. I have no interest in being obese, I’m just through with the guilt.”
Next time you start doubting yourself or feeling a hint of regret after a meal, think about the five ways to avoid food guilt outlined earlier. Life is all about balance and it can take some time to strike your own ideal balance between diet, exercise, happiness and healthy living. If you just can’t seem to shake intense feelings of food guilt, check out Evelyn Tribole’s full pamphlet here as well as her website http://www.intuitiveeating.org.