What is normal eating?

Defining normal eating

Came across this interesting article on eating and what constitute normal eating (while spring-cleaning my workstation). I believe normal or abnormal eating is a very subjective matter. To me, it may not be normal, but to another, it is alright.

Normal eating is:

1. Being able to eat when you are hungry and continue eating until you are satisfied
2. Being able to choose the food you like and eat it and trully get enough of it - not just to stop eating because you think you should
3. Being able to use some moderate constraint in your food selection to get the right food, but not so restrictive that you miss out on pleasurable foods
4. Giving yourself permission to eat sometimes because you are happy, sad or bored, or just because it feels good
5. Three meals a day, most of the time, but it can also be choosing to munch along
6. Overeating at times, feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. It is also undereating at times and wishing you had more

In short, normal eating is flexible. It varies in response to your emotions, your schedule, your hunger and proximity to food. However, as normal lifestyle now requires periodic exercise, normal eating now requires periodic dieting , implying that society demands that individuals eat enough to maintain an acceptable body size and no more.

~Ellyn Satter~