This article was originally published on The Nutrition Press.
Food guilt. It comes in all shapes and sizes and it makes you feel like crap.
For me, it’s when I decide not to order that delicious dessert for fear of its health consequences or when I feel bad after eating a thing may not align with my normal eating patterns.
Whatever form it comes in, no one should have to feel “the food guilts.”
So where has food guilt come from?
It has been well documented that we live in a world where thinness is preferred and dieting is the norm (1). It has become normal for people to place self-imposed rules to restrict foods that are perceived as ‘fattening’. It has also become normal to categorise foods as good or bad, and try to avoid those foods in the latter (2). And research shows that perhaps it is also normal for people to feel guilty after eating certain foods and in certain social settings (3). Sadly, this dichotomous thinking of whether something is guilt-free or not, not only creates significantly more pain when we’re about to enjoy a meal, but it can also create a greater feeling of failure if a perceived “off limits” foods is consumed (2).
Is it just people who diet who experience food guilt?
No.
Studies that have explored the difference between food guilt experienced by dieters and non-dieters found that both groups felt guilty after consuming items they perceived as fattening (2). A study by King, Herman and Polivy (1987) found that guilt experienced in non-dieters is more neutral and closely associated to the lower nutritional quality of the food whereas in dieters, guilt is related to consuming something that is perceived as diet-breaking and energy dense (even if that is not the case). It also found dieters were more likely to think about food in the absence of guilt.
A study by Dewberry and Ussher (1991) also investigated the difference in guilt between restrained eaters (those who consciously control food intake to prevent weight gain) and non-restrained eaters (3). It found that after eating high-calorie foods such as chocolate, cookies and other sweets, dieters were again more likely to experience guilt. Perhaps this labelling of foods as guilt-inducing and non-guilt inducing (4) is the reason why the guilt factor sky rockets in dieters after guilt-inducing food are consumed?
Are males or females more likely to experience guilt?
While research shows that dieting and disordered eating is higher in women (5), the Dewberry and Ussher study (1991) found that women were not more likely than the male participants to report feelings of guilt after eating specific food. However the study did find that women were more likely to have higher guilt levels depending on the context (3). Women felt more guilty after eating at a dinner party or social gathering as they felt they had overeaten, which interestingly supports the notion that people tend to eat larger quantities when dining with others (6). This finding comes from a study which investigated the difference in food consumption by people dining with others compared to eating alone. It found that eating with just one other person can increase the amount ingested by 44% and included larger amounts of carbohydrate, fat, protein, and alcohol (6). Interestingly other studies have shown that we usually eat similar quantities to that of our dining companions due to behavioural mimicry, where we unknowingly copy the behaviour of another (7). Young women are most likely to adjust their food intake to mimic their dining partner, with some studies showing that it is also more likely to happen when the person wants to increase their affiliation with their companion and therefore a way to build rapport (7). Despite this, if social gatherings and dinners don’t happen often, then I personally think they should be enjoyed to fullest and you should eat what your body desires. As university students, we don’t often have time (or budget!) to go out, so I say when you do have your special night out, order whatever it is that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside!
I say this because other studies have found that food guilt is also common amongst university students (8). It has been reported that nutrition and dietetics students are already an at risk group of having higher rates of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour, but a 2008 study investigated female university students from all disciplines how often and under what circumstances they experienced food guilt (8). It found that the majority had mild feelings of guilt, particularly after consuming snacks in between main meals of lunch and dinner. Sweets were the main cause for the guilt, particularly after eating at a friend’s house where they believed they ‘overate’. One third reported that they had no feelings of guilt about their food choices (8).
Researchers have pointed out that research in this specific area is limited, as most studies have focused on undergraduate students and women and therefore cannot be applied to the larger population. Sadly, what we do know is that food does cause anxiety and worry for some and it can lead to less pleasurable and more stressful eating experiences (8). It can lead to dieting and studies show that not only is dieting not effective as a means of weight loss (9), but it can lead to negative physical and emotional outcomes, as well as disordered eating (10).
As we continue to live in a culture where we are encouraged to “think” about what we are eating (no fat, low fat, full fat?) and to look a certain way, we’re no longer eating in response to what our body desires and actually needs. Instead we’re getting hooked on what we should and shouldn’t be eating, which for some can create guilt for eating a thing that they think they shouldn’t. Which is no way to live in my eyes!
As student dietitians, we will continue to learn about the beautiful biochemistry of food and the human body and it will important to make sure that we don’t lose focus on the most important thing … that food is meant to be enjoyed and that it tastes even better when it’s shared with your friends and families with your favourite glass of shiraz.
References:
(1) Polivy, J. and Herman, C. (1987). Diagnosis and treatment of normal eating. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(5), pp.635-644.
(2) Gonzalez, V. and Vitousek, K. (2004). Feared food in dieting and non-dieting young women: a preliminary validation of the Food Phobia Survey. Appetite, 43(2), pp.155-173.
(3) Dewberry, C. and Ussher, J. (1994). Restraint and Perception of Body Weight among British Adults. The Journal of Social Psychology, 134(5), pp.609-619.
(4) King GA, Herman CP, Polivy J. Food perception in dieters and non-dieters. Appetite. 1987;8(2):147-58.
(5) Wardle J. Compulsive eating and dietary restraint. Br J Clin Psychol. 1987;26 ( Pt 1):47-55.
(6) De Castro JM. Socio-cultural determinants of meal size and frequency. Br J Nutr. 1997;77 Suppl 1:S39-54; discussion S-5.
(7) Hermans RCJ, Lichtwarck-Aschoff A, Bevelander KE, Herman CP, Larsen JK, Engels RCME. Mimicry of Food Intake: The Dynamic Interplay between Eating Companions. PLOS ONE. 2012;7(2):e31027.
(8) Steenhuis I. Guilty or not? Feelings of guilt about food among college women. Appetite. 2009;52(2):531-4.
(9) Miller WC, Miller WC. How effective are traditional dietary and exercise interventions for weight loss? Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 1999;31(8):1129-34.
(10) Jackson EG. Eating order: a 13-week trust model class for dieting casualties. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2008;40(1):43-8.