Normal Eating for Health & Wellness
Normal eating enhances our feelings of well-being. We eat for health and energy, also for pleasure and social reasons, and afterward, we feel good.
It's important to pay attention to your eating patterns and your family's. Just like normal eating patterns are a sign of good health, irregular eating habits can be a sign of stress, lead to weight gain, or even indicate an eating disorder.
What is normal eating?
• Eating at regular times, typically three meals and one or two snacks each day to satisfy hunger.
• It is regulated mostly by internal signals of hunger and fullness - we eat when hungry and stop when satisfied.
How does it promote health and well-being?
• Normal eating promotes clear thinking and stable moods.
• It fosters healthy relationships in family, work, school, and community. Thoughts of food, hunger and weight occupy only a small part of your day (perhaps 10-15%).
• Normal eating nurtures good health, vibrant energy, and the healthy growth and development of children.
• It promotes stable weight.
How does it differ from dysfunctional eating?
• Dysfunctional eating is irregular and chaotic (fasting, bingeing, dieting, skipping meals), or may mean usually overeating or undereating much more or less than the body wants or needs.
• Instead of feeling better after eating, you feel worse.
• Feeling fatigued, irritable, moody, chilled, less able to concentrate, and increasingly self-absorbed is common.
• Thoughts of food, hunger, and weight may occupy 20-65% of waking hours, or more.
• In general, the potential for health problems increases, as does the risk of developing an eating disorder.
How can parents encourage normal eating?
• Plan meals and snacks for the same time each day, and offer a variety of nutritious foods.
• Help your child identify hunger and fullness.
• Be a good example of normal, healthy eating and lifestyle.
January is Healthy Weight Month!
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