Rating Your Food Behaviors

Irene Berman-Levine, PhD, RD
December 22, 2004

This is another extract from Dr Irene Berman-Levine's book, "Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits". You can order the book, which is packed with easily digested research news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here
Robert Griffith, Editor.

"I usually eat healthy . . .except for special occasions . . .like holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, office parties, Saturday nights, Sunday afternoons, family dinners, Wednesday night because it is a hectic night, Thursday morning if someone brings in breakfast pastries, Friday after work because you made it through the week . . ."

Sound familiar? It does to me! Most people try to eat healthy . . . except for special occasions or changes in routine due to illness or family problems. Celebrations, meetings, and special events add variety and spice to life. Changes in routine due to illness or problems are often an unavoidable given in life. But count how often these situations bring "exceptions" to healthy eating. Take a moment and think about it.

Part 1: Rate below how often something comes up in your life that makes it more difficult to eat healthy.

1. Less than 12 times a year
2. Once or twice a month
3. 3 times a month
4. Once a week
5. 2 - 6 times a week
6. Once a day
7. More than once a day

Part 2: Now choose the descriptions that describe your reactions to situations that offer less desirable food choices. You may choose several if they describe your behavior.

When foods are presented that are "decadent" (high in calories, fat, or sugar, low in fiber):

1. I never touch them
2. I can control my portion so that my weight and health are not affected in the long run. (This means you may occasionally have a reasonable amount and enjoy it, but it is not enough to have a negative impact. You may also make sure you have plenty of exercise and healthy eating for the rest of the week to compensate.)
3. If there are several foods I like, I have to taste everything
4. I often eat the entire portion, even if it is too much
5. I am a member of the "clean the plate" club
6. I usually leave the situation feeling like I ate too much
7. If there are leftovers and I'm cleaning up, I will snack on them even if I'm not hungry

Interpreting your scores:

First, I'm just as worried about the "perfect" eater (that's the person that chose number 1 in Part 2) as a person who is out of control with their eating. An important part of life is enjoying food and if you are an absolute "perfectionist" when it comes to food, there is a higher chance you may have an eating disorder. If you never touch any foods that are not the perfect example of good nutrition, you would benefit from a further screening to make sure you do not have an eating disorder.

Congratulations if you chose #2 in Part 2. This behavior allows people to enjoy tasting favorite foods while keeping on a healthy track.

If you have any (or all) of the behaviors described from numbers 3 - 7, your risk depends on how often you are exposed to these foods. In Part one, if your answer was #1 or #2, your overall nutrition can probably be maintained despite these "exceptions" (unless you really binge). If your frequency, however, is three times a month or more (you chose #3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 in Part 1), these occasions can cause more serious nutritional problems. It means that there may be weeks in which there are almost daily (or more than once a day) eating patterns that are out of control.

If you are concerned about your eating behaviors, a registered dietitian (RD) can help you develop an approach to food that addresses these habits. The first visit will take at least an hour. An RD needs time to understand the ways you respond to different food situations. They can help you develop a strategy to change these behaviors.

Dr Irene is the author of a free newsletter which helps you understand the confusing world of nutrition and motivates you to choose healthy foods. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here

Source

• I Berman-Levine PhD, RD. "Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits" Newsletter published by HealthandAge.com. Volume IV Issue No 51, December 2003.

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