Does Eating Processed Food Contribute To Eating Disorders?

[deecee 2]

So much of the food we eat today is processed beyond all resemblance to its natural state. Nearly everything we eat is crammed full of fat, salt, sugar, and chemicals. Most processed foods have been stripped of their nutrients. Is it any wonder that we are an obese, unhealthy society?

The lack of nutrients in our food, may well contribute to depression and other disorders. The high sodium and sugar levels may be causing the epidemic or diabetes, hypertension, and related disorders. My guess is that our food also helps cause binge eating. A normal portion of food doesn't satisfy, because what we are eating isn't really food.

[JOYCICLE 654]

Hi Deecee, yes I 'm sure you're right. I've taken to drinking mineral water the last 2 years because I know we lack essential things that might have been in our food 100 years ago but are long gone now . The grocery store aisle food is just CRAP and has left a huge amount of potential patients on the table for doctors of all kinds. BOO @ food !

[JOYCICLE 654]

Hey , nice observation ' a normal portion of food doesnt' satisfy because its not really food' .... that is actually a stunning statement. Because yes we want more and more and more because our body is saying ' hey this is a carrot, why am i not absorbing the vitamins from the carrot, eat another' . Hmmm

[benleem 0]

Hard to say for a fact that fast foods and eating disorders are correlated but come to think about it, we cannot stay away from them. The first thing we think about when we are angry is some sweet or tasty junk somewhere. I think they help fuel the problem.

[Mrs. Rogers 2]

I think that if the food is totally available at any time then yes it can lead to binge eating. If we had to cook everything ourselves then we'd be more careful about what and how much we eat.

[deecee 2]

That is so true about availabilty. I'd go one step further than just having to cook it. If we had to grow, hunt, or forage for our own food, we would likely appreciate it more. Doesn't that tomato you grew yourself taste so much sweeter? If food is precious, earned with our own labor, it would be more valued.

[Wolfsbane 0]

I've realized that food is classifiable in to four categories: quick, cheap, delicious, and nutritious. You can only choose three of the four. Most people choose quick, cheap, and delicious. We live busy lives and don't have time to cook. We want everything instantly, and we want it to be as tasty as possible. Unfortunately sugar, salt and fat are really exciting to the taste buds. Food manufacturers know this, and so they make food solely for taste.

Recently I've been running in to the opposite problem. I've done so much to be fit and healthy. I've changed my entire view on food and exercise. Now I'm at the lowest possible healthy weight for my height, and I can't afford to lose one more pound. In an attempt to be super healthy I've cut out a lot of food. Meat, added sugar, junk food, unhealthy processed food, and now bread.

The deeper I get in to this, the harder it is to eat anything. Can I eat this? No, the salt is too high. What about this? No, there's a lot of added sugar in that. Well maybe this... No, that's empty calories. I'm down to the basics such as fruits, veggies, nuts, beans/legumes.. Anything natural I guess. Everything I eat now requires some prep (I chose cheap, delicious, nutritious). Everything I eat is naturally low in calories, because that's just how a lot of healthy food is. I can't eat that much volume in one day, and as a result I don't get enough calories.

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi. Wolf. I think unless we are careful this food business can become an obsession. The jury still appears to be out on the fact of health and processed foods. The labelling should let us decide if the food is up to the mark, but the manufacturers tend to disguise the ingredients of some of their products. We get most of our food from local farm shops but do have the occasional fast food product. The recent scare in the UK about horse meat in 'beef' products has made a lot of people think about what we are actually eating. The fact that a lot of folk these days have not the time to cook comes into this discussion and any advice on this depends on how busy you are. There is usually time to cook something nutritious even if we give up our favourite Soap to do it! Don't let this become an obsession. This can spill over to the other things in your life and cause problems. Happy eating.

[Wolfsbane 0]

I know it can become an obsession. Once you get passed reading the main ingredients you get down to the preservatives and the artificial dyes... There's no end to it, unless you only eat whole natural foods.

I think it's funny that people are worried about horse meat, when it's very normal for some cultures to eat it. They're worried about a healthy lean meat, but not about all of the sodium and empty calories in their food? I think that people in general don't think about what they put in their bodies. They just eat what they like and don't worry about anything. Packaging is so deceptive too! I honestly feel that a lot of people rely on the food manufacturers to tell them what is healthy. Why else would margarine and aspartame be considered part of a healthy life style? "Low fat" means there is more sugar added. "Sugar free" means it's loaded with artificial sweetener. It still doesn't change the fact that you're eating a chocolate cake rather than an apple with natural sugars. I don't think anybody actually reads the back of the package.

I started reading labels when I went vegetarian, and I was very surprised to see all of the ingredients I was overlooking before. I try not to obsess over the little things like preservatives and artificial dyes, but I'm sure those can't be good for you either. For me it's just easier to stick to natural plant foods. Anything that came straight from the ground. I don't even worry about buying organic yet. This rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper. Yes it can very easily become an obsession, but is that the fault of the individual, or the food manufacturers for making such bad food in the first place? Or maybe it was spurred on by our consumer mindsets. Everything has to be brightly colored, delicious, and have a long shelf life for convenience. We don't know what real food is supposed to look like.

I think it's good for your mental health to indulge once in a while. I do still enjoy the occasional pizza or dessert, but I realize that it's completely unhealthy. Everything in moderation. Food should be seen for what it is: fuel for your body. Your heart and brain cannot live off of pizza alone. While your taste buds may enjoy it, the rest of your body doesn't benefit from it. I just try to give my body what it needs to function at its best.

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi. Wolf. I think your remark 'everything in moderation' just about sums it up. As to the rest of your post I entirely agree. Most people just take everything for granted and assume that the manufacturers of these foods are in it for our benefit when, in fact, profit is the motive. I am sure that inappropriate foods can cause a lot of trouble in mental health. Some people can't eat chocolate without getting a migraine. If chocolate can do that what other effects can occur with other foods? If we can be allergic to some foods which manifest in a physical way then why not in a mental way? I do not feel enough research has been done in this field. How often has a doctor advised a change of diet when presented with anxiety? I never was. Trial and error can be painful and not always appropriate in extreme cases of anxiety. Indulge once in a while. Why not! I often have a bar of chocolate which I shouldn't; but what the heck!! J.

[JOYCICLE 654]

YES !

[Henry 2]

The lack of nutrients in our food, may well contribute to depression and other disorders.

i don't see why it wouldn't be possible.

So much of the food we eat today is processed beyond all resemblance to its natural state. Nearly everything we eat is crammed full of fat, salt, sugar, and chemicals. Most processed foods have been stripped of their nutrients. Is it any wonder that we are an obese, unhealthy society?

but i don't think it is the manufacturing companies fault that a lot of people are unhealthy from eating processed foods. i don't know if that's something you were trying to imply. but like someone said, the companies are looking for profit and the demand is for a lot of processed foods. people are making the decision to buy those foods. if they didn't buy them then there would be less demand and companies would stop supplying them.

it is really up to themselves if people want to become healthier, there isn't anybody else to blame.

the mental benefits of eating foods you like probably outweigh the physical harm if it is only every now and then.

[jonathan123 2368]

Hi. Henry. It seems to me that food manufacturers process the food to make it more palatable but also to make it easier to manufacture. Another point is that meat, 50 or 60 years ago, contained around 5% fat, on average. (In the UK). It is now around 20% due to the way animals are fed. All this is so insidious. It creeps up on us over the years and it takes a sudden scare to alert us. Suddenly there is an explosion of opinions as to what is right to eat and what not. You are right. It is up to us. If the demand for processed food was not there then it would not be so popular. The fact is that everything has to be 'instant'. Coffee, tea and even medicine! It is said we are what we eat. The mind boggles!! J.