Food Babble and Fear
by Margaret Summy, M.Ed., LPC, LMFT, LCDC
and Dawn Dillon, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

"Food babble" is an interesting phenomenon in our society. What is it? It's a term we use that refers to the language people use in our society when they talk about food. When someone says" that's good food or that's bad food", they are speaking food babble. When someone says "oh, that's got too many carbs for me to eat", or "that's just too sinful, I can't eat THAT", we call that food babble. The way we speak is often brought on by the latest diet trend. Not too many years ago food babble was all about fat content in food. Everyone was learning to check food labels and talking about fat grams. Today, carbohydrates are the hot topic of food babble.

Wherever you go, whether on a retreat, to a party, at home or out to eat it is amazing how much food babble you can hear. It is also astounding how much you will say yourself without even realizing your are speaking babble. Imagine a weekend with over one hundred folks. Along with all their talking about which foods they can or can't (or should or shouldn't) eat, it is interesting to watch their behavior. In addition to regular mealtime, everyone has brought along snack food, chips, dip, chocolates, cheese, crackers, fruit and a vast assortment of other special treats. The conversation turns to how they shouldn't eat any of those "bad" foods they had brought. Some go ahead and eat them, talking about how they are going to have to get back on their diets when they return home. It was as if they are given special food permission to eat these particular foods while they are away for the weekend yet they would not be allowed to eat them after returning home.

As we work with the complex issues surrounding eating disorders or with people hoping to improve their quality of life, it saddens us to see so many putting restrictions and rigid rules on themselves. Any time one makes a food a "forbidden" food, it sets that person up for harsh self-judgement and despair. As with almost everything in life, balance is the key. Eating some chocolate or some carbs is not going to make one overweight or unhappy.
Eating is a celebrated event in many cultures and our society has turned it into a fear-based event. People are often wondering, "is it safe to eat that?", "will it make me FAT?". We try to help people listen to their body cues and to trust their hunger and satiety signals. Eating when you are hungry, stopping as soon as you are full is a simple process most people have forgotten how to do. To us, it seems the diet industry is taking monetary and psychological advantage of people's fear about food. Just listen to the commercials on TV or radio and you will hear all sorts of food babble. Along with promises of a better life, there is the constant pressure that we should fear particular types of food. It is overwhelming to see people spending so much time money and energy on trying to be perfect.

Are you willing to try for a day to catch yourself and go for a day without any food babble? Free yourself from the food babble frenzy and start enjoying the taste, energy and pleasure that food can give to each of you.