The Meanings of Food - Hunger
The Subconscious Agenda(s) Behind Eating and Purposeful Starvation
Food defines culture to some degree. For instance, in Louisiana, who hasn't eaten crayfish? Alligator sausage? In New England there would be baked beans. Lobsters and clams are also mouthwatering delectibles, especially during the summer months (Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle, Yarmouth Clam Festival, roadfooddigest.com, July 15, 2008).
Eating is necessary for life. Life needs nutrients to support it, but how to explain a quest for food or continuous trips to the refrigerator? Or purposeful starvation?
Hunger, cravings, even starvation can have their underpinnings from unmet needs.
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
A doctor of psychology, Maslow is famous for his development of man's hierarchy of needs. To summarize, this hierarchy contains the basic needs of humanity such as food, shelter, warmth and love. If all of humanity's needs to sustain life both physically, psychologically, and socially are met, humanity moves to higher planes of living, culminating with a level known as self-actualization.
At the self-actualization level, there is harmony and balance within the individual regarding self and his/her relationship to the community. Self-actualized people are growing and moving towards a realization of their full potential.
How does this translate into overeating and starvation?
Unmet Human Needs
When basic human needs are not met, human nature is such that a craving/hunger/compulsion will develop, and it will seek to grasp whatever it can to meet the unmet needs. Unfortunately, the craving to meet the void will more than likely pursue a course that is not healthy or satisfying, though it may appear to be correct and fulfilling. And since whatever route chosen is ultimately unsatisfactory, a constant, consistent craving or compulsion is set into motion, because the void cannot adequately be satisfied.
Love, the Lack of Control and the Compulsion to Eat or Starve
Geneen Roth in her book, When Food is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy (Plume, Penquin Group Books, USA, Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York, 10014, July 1992, pgs. 1-36), established the premise that it is impossible to control love (one of Malsow's basic human needs). Thus, love lost, or the potential of love lost, becomes the basis for eating or starvation. This generally occurs on the subconscious level.
When people love, they lose control. Love cannot be controlled. Though people seek to be loved, there is no guarantee in life that once loved, that love will continue unshaken until death. Therefore, to regain the control or the illusion of control, eating or not eating becomes the mode of behavior, because the pursuit of eating or not eating is something that can be controlled, even though it feels out of control. In Roth's words, "Rather than experience the loss of control that loving brings, many of us choose to feel out of control about something that is within our control: the food we eat - or don't eat." [Ibid., page 37].
Hmmm, that doesn't make any sense. Think of it this way, eating food can be comforting. Choosing what to binge upon is a way of saying (example), "Since Dad was never around growing up, an ice-cream sundae is deserved," or, "That looks delicious, but gaining any weight will create ugliness. Ugliness equals failure, therefore, can't eat it."
These internal messages may or may not occur at the conscious level. Sometimes therapy is needed to sort them out.
Related articles include:
Eating Disorders and Perfectionism
Loss of Love Creates Unhealthy Compulsions
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To Binge or to Starve?
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