Your Eating Style - Changing Your Approach to Food

 

No matter how you set your table, your eating style determines what is on your plate, in the carton, in the can, or in your hands.

There are numerous ways that clever writers and researchers have documented and labeled our approaches to food.  The University of Wyoming published a list of 8 Eating Styles,  they adapted from Intuitive Eating, by E. Tribole and E. Resch, our Lady of Weight Loss, Janice Taylor, describes 10 styles,  and Dr. David Katz, medical contributor for ABC News, discusses 7 eating styles that lead to obesity. Depending on where you see yourself, your age and lifestyle, you may identify with other lists and labels.

The University of Wyoming list appeals to me so I will summarize it here:

Eating Style                                     Trigger and Behaviors
Unconscious Eating                         Eating while doing something else at the same time because                                               

                                                         eating itself is not important. Eating while watching TV.

Chaotic Eating                                 Overscheduled. Think the busy medical resident who                                        
                                                          wolfs down food.                                                          

Refuse-Not  Eating                         The presence of food.  See food eat food.  Candy jars, cheese 

                                                          platters, you name  will not last in front of this person.

Waste-Not  Eating                          Cheap or free food. Member of clean plate club since childhood.    

                                                         Monetary considerations  may involve all you can eat  buffets.

Emotional Eating                             Stress induced.  Comfort food for emotional gratification.


Careful Eating                                  Health and fitness. Anguished eating behavior as every bite is
                                                          considered.
         

Professional Dieting                        Fat self image. Is always on a diet.
Intuitive Eating                                Biological hunger. This person enjoys eating.   
                                                   
Adapted from: Intuitive Eating, by E. Tribole and E. Resch, 1995. Nancy Bayne, PO Box 36, Nunn, CO 8064

A little self-knowledge goes a long way.  If you can identify your style you can change your eating behavior.

Article first published as Your Eating Style: Changing Your Approach to Food on Technorati.