Thanksgiving and other popular holidays are often accompanied by overeating. The idea of a celebratory ‘holiday’ and festivity creates an unspoken encouragement to fully indulge. It is just one day, or one short series of days, throughout the year, so fully indulging is fully acceptable. Media marketers take this idea and run with it. Conflicting headlines are everywhere, telling people how to make the healthiest ‘no-guilt’ dishes and the most indulgent dishes possible. October through December is a time of great indulgence- candy for Halloween, feasting for Thanksgiving, and endless parties or celebrations for December holidays. All of the overeating opportunities culminate with New Year’s Eve which is when the narrative changes. Now, there is an opportunity to make a ‘resolution’ to eat healthier, get in shape, lose that weight, burn that fat, and much, much more. Themes of guilt, shame, and self-esteem make approaching the subject difficult. Should people eat what they want to eat and enjoy what they want to enjoy? Absolutely. However, doing so in a way that makes them feel good, makes their body feel good, and makes them feel good inside is important. Though the brain loves to be bad, the soul and the psyche cannot always handle the stress of shame. Overeating is often a compulsory coping behavior for people who have lived through trauma in their lives. The holidays can be a triggering time as such individuals deal with the narratives in the media, at the meal table, and in their own mind.
Overeating happens. However, overeating is not good for the body, which is why compulsive, chronic overeaters can develop severe physical health conditions. Overeating can lead to:
Feeling bloated, over full, and in pain. Constipating and digestive issues are common. Additionally, the stomach expands to compensate for the extra amount of food. It will take time to reduce the stomach back to normal size.Sweating can be caused by the body trying to metabolize all of the extra calories it has consumed.Trying to sleep with an extra full stomach can be hard to do. The circadian rhythm is affected by overeating, leading to multiple nights of inconsistent, and restless sleep.
Avoid overeating by eating slowly, putting down the fork between bites, getting regular exercise during the holiday, and continuing to eat normally, rather than restrict before the meal.
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