Who is Food?

So, they tagged along with me on this trip, helping me the whole way.  I never felt alone, plus, they have the sweetest sense of humor.  I laughed, and contemplated so many things during this trip.  I cannot imagine having to go all the way here without them.  The connection made was almost as if we were designed to feed off one another.  Our personalities melded and they complimented me in so many ways.  I became the very existence of them and they, my lifeline.  I never could have imagined such unbiased, non critical, understanding and comforting friends.  When I'm upset they're there, and even when I'm celebrating key moments in my life, within arms reach I could see them peering at me with acceptance.  They give me energy to continue, and even help me find rest.  I never get tired of their company, even when I just want to be alone.  When life holds me to so many expectations, I am never judged, or held to any standards with them.  On my bad hair days, bad mornings and sometimes less than glamorous physique they always welcome me.

Can food be given life? 

Can we identify with this story?  If so, we are but a few of billions of people who exist and have a relationship with the food we eat.  The idea is that food is taking on a more prominent role in our lives, whether we know it or not.  Food gives us energy, yes, that's its basic function, however, now it does much more.  It creates relationships, calms, inspires, pleases, comforts, nourishes and the list could continue.  In the society we live in here in America, obesity is no more than a way of life.  The scary word, "epidemic" has lost its sting as obesity has rolled over it and moved on.  The reason I believe this to be the case is, we are addressing the behavior of those who are obese and not so much the relationships they sustain.  Whether, emotional eating, external eating or restrained, the relationship is most consistent and alive.  We'd do well to understand how individuals view food and how they interact with it.  The old mantra of "Energy in" is antiquated.  People are looking to this food relationship for answers and comfort circles, unknown elsewhere.  

You are what you eat, seems to still circulate throughout our culture.  When asked, a young lady who uses food as comfort, due to a lack of social interaction said, "I eat when I'm sad, because I have no one to speak with.  Food is my friend that accepts me for who I am, never judging and always there in my most quiet spaces."  Does this sound like food or a friend?  A relationship with food exist between all of us, how we manage that relationship will define a aspect of our health and diet.  

Portion control could be likened to a unbalanced relationship where we may want, or be wanted more than necessary.  Poor diet, also could be viewed as making poor choices in friends, where common sense or foresight is absent.  Restrained eating could also look like self deprivation or avoidance, which once that emotion or stint is over, we find ourselves on the other end of the spectrum.  These may help us to see that food could be a foe, though unbiased, or unconditionally accepting.  

Can our society rich with technology, be feeding this issue?  Well, here's a thought, with the presence of technology, we see a decrease in human interaction, thus social experiences could involve just one human being alone.  Can our friends be food, just as much as an online avatar or television program?

We are creatures designed to interact with one another.  We need relationships, and not everyone has the right circumstances to create healthy ones.  This is why education is vital, we need resources for those who need to reach out and get connected.  We cannot do this life alone, so one way or another we'll find someone, or something to accompany us.