Here is a definition of “relationship”: the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.
When most people hear the word “relationship” the first images conjured up are mostly “people” relationships: spouses, lovers, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, more extended family members, bosses, people you manage, colleagues, etc etc.
Non-people relationships extend to our pets as some pet owners engage lots with their pets (Posner with dogs as an example) and other pet owners are not very engaged (Posner with the cats in his house as an example)
Let’s explore relationships with non-animate things. Would you use the term “relationship” when it comes to the furniture in your house, your car, or other objects in your houee? Probably not.
However, the word “relationship” has often been ascribed to people and food. Just Google the words “relationship with food” and you will see 3 million articles to read about this subject.
Here is the thing about food: Foods have the capacity to make us feel great (think hot fudge sundae or cherry cheesecake), make us feel high (think 3 glasses of wine), comfort us (think Mac and Cheese on a stressful snow day at home with the kids fighting and screaming) and lower stress (think munching on popcorn while watching a scary movie
For those people out there that had/have parents that jump on you/criticize your weight/eating patterns, your relationship with your parents was often intertwined with your relationship to food.
In a perfect weight control world, our relationship with food would be nothing more than looking at food as necessary part of sustenance and nothing more. However, we all know that this is simply not the case and we do use/interact with food/drink in complicated ways.
Take a step back and think about your “relationship” with food and see if you consider this to be a “healthy” one or pathological in some ways. If you feel that your “relationship” with food is damaging your efforts to be healthier and happier then speak with us or your doctor about these issues. Bringing these issues to our consciousness is the first step in making the “relationship” a healthier one.
