Almost everyone overeats from time to time. One may overeat especially when it comes to a free meal or a buffet dinner. During open house when food is free for all, it is a common sight to see Malaysians pile so much food that it resembles a miniature Mount Everest on their plate. One of the many reasons that this occur maybe because of the varieties of delicious food, one would want to try out all the recipes. It could also be because they do not want the hassle of going back for a second helping or they are worried that the food would be finish before they return. When this happens, with too much food is on the plates, one tends to overeat. According to Health Ministry statistics, 30% of Malaysians are obese while another 30% are overweight (Aruna, 2011).
Overeating has many harmful causes. Among it is that the organs in one’s body are strained. The stomach and the other digestive organs have to function beyond their capabilities to digest the food consumed. After the system got used to overworked, one’s appetite will always be hungry as the stomach do not rest. Thus overeating became a matter of habit. We should learn from the animals which do not overeat and hence they keep up their energy and efficiency. We should not become slave to our taste buds and continue to sin with gluttony because our body system do not require so much food.
To overeat, more food is needed, and when one thing leads to another, the world is facing a shortage of food. Throughout the year 2010 to 2011, we consume more grain than we produced. Grain consumption is the developing world has increased 80% over the past 30 years, compared with a rise on only 22% in the advanced economies (Schuman 2011).
At the same time, meat that was once considered luxurious food can now be afforded by many. As a result, the amount of meat each person consumes has doubled over the past 30 years. That puts extra pressure on agriculture, to raise more goats and cows to supply the ever rising demand of the people. On a US feedlot, it can take about 6kilos of grain to produce 1 kilo of beef, plus thousands of liters of water. (Schuman, 2011) Thus, relating overeating to a high amount of carbon footprint.
Besides that, overeating is also costing one a hefty sum of money to pay for their bill. Today, food prices are near historic highs, driven upward by a forever growing, always hungrier population (Schuman, 2011). Globally, food costs 39% more today than just a year ago, according to UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAD).
Marditech Corporation Sdn. Bhd. group CEO Anas Ahmad Nasarudin said an investigation by the body showed that the price of meat had increased by 7.6%, milk and eggs by 7.9%, vegetables by 11.4%, jam and sweetened products by 10.9%, fruits by 6.8% and fish by 3.8%.
Marditech consultant Ahmad Zamzam Mohamed said that Malaysia was already in a food crisis and Malaysians would have to change their eating habits to lessen its impact. “The Government has been shielding Malaysians from the real impact of the crisis with various subsidies,” he said, adding that they would soon face the reality as these were being slowly removed.
Malaysians can afford to eat less because they are either overeating or wasting food, throwing away up to 930 tonnes of unconsumed food daily, says University Malaya Prof. Dr. P. Agamuthu. Dr. Aganuthu specializes in solid and hazardous waste management, said Malaysia was close to a developed country status in the amount of waste generated as compared to developing nations like India and Bangladesh, which had almost zero unconsumed food. He also said that food wastage was higher in urban areas due to the difference in income levels with rural areas. (Aruna, 2011)
To avoid overeating, we must have awareness about our diet and knowledge about food along with principles of healthy eating. Almost all of us indulged in mindless eating at some point in our lives. Eating without hunger because of external or environmental cues, simply for pleasure or for comfort is something that we all do, no matter how literate we are about diets and nutrition facts. Most of us do not stop eating even when we are full. According to Weiten and Lloyd (2003), there are some ways to avoid overeating.
Among the many ways to prevent overeating is it all begins when shopping for food. We should not purchase problematic food such as those which are fattening and contains high-calories. We should also avoid buying our favourite food to pamper ourselves, unless they have very low caloric values. This is because we tend to eat more of the food that we love to eat. Food that requires little preparation should also be avoided, for such food makes it too easy for us to snack. Instead, we should use a shopping list from which we do not stray away. And carry only enough money to pay for the items which are listed on the list.
In addition, the kitchen is also a very strategic place to control overeating. One should not use the kitchen for anything other than food preparation and consumption. Food stock should also be kept out of sight, close behind cupboards. If there are problematic food in the kitchen, arrange cupboards and the refrigerator so that these foods are out of reach or in the rear which is hard to reach. And the preparation of food should be just the right amount for immediate consumption.
Furthermore while eating, we should not do anything besides eating. Watching television or reading promotes mindless consumption. We should also eat from a smaller dish. Use smaller plates, bowls, spoons, cups and glasses. By doing so, it will make the quantity of food appear greater. In the same way, we should also apply the “half-plate rule”. At least, half of the plate should be vegetables and fruits and divide the rest into protein and starch. After eating, quickly put away or dispose of leftover food, then leave the kitchen as soon as it through.
As a matter of fact to avoid overeat, do not patronize restaurants. Menus are written in a much too seductive style. If social obligations require one to eat out, go to a restaurant that is the least favourite. When in restaurants, do not linger over the menu, and do not gawk at the food on the other tables. This is because human beings like to compare. If one sees that others are eating good food, one will also want to eat the similar good or better food. Again, avoid driving down streets and going to shopping centers that are loaded with alluring fast-food enterprises.
In general to control the antecedents of overeating, try to avoid boredom. Keep one busy. Try to avoid excessive sleep loss and fatigue. The reason is because one’s self-control diminishes when you are tired. And last but not least, avoid excessive fasting. Skipping meals often leads to overeating later as in one’s mindset wants to eat back what the body lost earlier.
To sum up, if overeating is an evil, starving is equally bad because the body do not get the necessary food for their efficacy. Thus, providing enough food for the nation is every government’s concern and all its economic machinery must be geared to that end. Dietary and nutrition education should be taught to everyone if people are to be saved from overeating. For a better tomorrow, everyone should eat right to a healthier lifestyle.
by
dare2rave (student)
