I also think that family upbringing has a lot to answer for, in some cases.
Another personal anecdote. I have a guy friend who has a three-year-old. My friend says that, when he takes his son to visits the grandparents, the grandparents always say to the little boy, "You have to clean your plate before you get dessert." And my friend says, "No he doesn't."
I think a lot of us were raised in families where you had to clean your plate regardless of whether you were full, or you had to eat at certain times of day regardless of whether you were hungry, where it was considered a sin to throw away food, etc.
Kinda stacks the deck against you, when you consider how much more often we're eating out, overall, and when you factor in the exponential increase in the portion sizes at most restaurants over the past decades. It's the perfect storm for weight gain. This is why I think it behooves us, as adults, to really think about what we're eating, and when and where and why.
And it starts early -- as early as a baby bottle. I'll have to google to find some support for this assertion (and I will when I get home and have time.) I have read one theory that children and adults who were breastfed tend to have lower rates of obesity. It’s theorized that this is because breastfed babies eat only when they want and only as much as they want. Bottle fed babies, OTOH, are sometimes encouraged to finish the bottle, on the parent's schedule and whether or not they are hungry. Of course, this is an oversimplified observation, but it is food for thought. No pun intended.
Another personal anecdote. I have a guy friend who has a three-year-old. My friend says that, when he takes his son to visits the grandparents, the grandparents always say to the little boy, "You have to clean your plate before you get dessert." And my friend says, "No he doesn't."
I think a lot of us were raised in families where you had to clean your plate regardless of whether you were full, or you had to eat at certain times of day regardless of whether you were hungry, where it was considered a sin to throw away food, etc.
Kinda stacks the deck against you, when you consider how much more often we're eating out, overall, and when you factor in the exponential increase in the portion sizes at most restaurants over the past decades. It's the perfect storm for weight gain. This is why I think it behooves us, as adults, to really think about what we're eating, and when and where and why.
And it starts early -- as early as a baby bottle. I'll have to google to find some support for this assertion (and I will when I get home and have time.) I have read one theory that children and adults who were breastfed tend to have lower rates of obesity. It’s theorized that this is because breastfed babies eat only when they want and only as much as they want. Bottle fed babies, OTOH, are sometimes encouraged to finish the bottle, on the parent's schedule and whether or not they are hungry. Of course, this is an oversimplified observation, but it is food for thought. No pun intended.
