“Perceptual Shifts” and Craving Control
In the course of surfing the NYT this morning, I stopped to read a short review of Dr. David Kessler’s book, “The End of Overeating”. One point in particular really leaped out:
Planned and structured eating and understanding your personal food triggers are essential. In addition, educating yourself about food can help alter your perceptions about what types of food are desirable. Just as many of us now find cigarettes repulsive, Dr. Kessler argues that we can also undergo similar “perceptual shifts” about large portion sizes and processed foods. For instance, he notes that when people who once loved to eat steak become vegetarians, they typically begin to view animal protein as disgusting.
The advice is certainly not a quick fix or a guarantee, but Dr. Kessler said that educating himself in the course of writing the book had helped him gain control over his eating.
(emphasis mine)
This rings true to me, as it tracks with my experience. Back when I was in high school, I was slender, although I was frequently gaining and losing the same 5 – 10 pounds. I’d eat crap, like many teenagers do, then go through a period of rigid dieting…wash, rinse, repeat. I could exert strong “food discipline” in bursts, but couldn’t maintain it over the long term. My diets were too restrictive and plain, while the “real stuff” was soooo tempting!
Things are very different now. I became fascinated by nutrition during those high school years, and the books I constantly checked out of the library helped me develop a preference for unrefined/minimally processed foods. This was intensified by my (eventual) college major: Food Science. During my years in the Food Science and Technology Dept. at UC Davis, I got a first class education in how the food industry works. While the conspiracy theorists and “food-as-religion” types make me laugh, at the same time, it’s painfully true that many (too many!) food products are about taste/texture, rather than substance. Over time, I learned to “see” past the sensory aspects of food products and evaluate them on the basis of their nutrient density… ultimately, how “real” they were, beneath the surface.
Like Dr. Kessler, I credit my control over food/eating to this awareness…Thanks to the shift in how I view food, I don’t have to oscillate between rigid discipline and over-indulgence anymore. I won’t deny that it took a while – it takes time for attitudes to change and a coherent set of values to evolve. But – in my opinion – it was infinitely worth the time it took.
