Continued From Page 7#35
Accept Your Genes
Betsy's family joked that she, like other women in the family, had been cursed with the "Cervellonis' hips." The women on her father's side all had wide, sturdy hips and buttocks that were a painful contrast to the thin, elegant hips and dainty butt that she fantasized about when she worked out. When she examined her family lineage, it was clear that her desire to fit into size six pants was unrealistic. No matter how much she dieted and worked out, her bone structure and her body type would not change. Also, if your family members have difficulty modulating their eating, unfortunately, it is likely that you, too, will also have to struggle to modulate your eating.
Body shape and weight range are largely influenced by genetics. Your bone size, metabolism rate, and fat deposit locations are determined by your genetic code as much as your eye, hair color, and height are.
According to the "set point" theory, it is postulated that your body has a genetically predetermined weight range. Your body tries to keep your weight within that range and will automatically adjust your metabolism and food storage capacity to keep you from losing or gaining weight outside of that range or set point. The set point theory suggests that little can be done to change your overall body shape in the same way that your shoe size, height, and eye color are a predetermined part of who you are. All you can do to alter this is to tint your contacts and wear high-heeled shoes. Similarly, you can subtly alter the appearance of your body shape by the clothes you wear, or by toning your muscles with exercise.
Angie, for example, was five feet, three inches tall. Her weight fell naturally within a range of 115125 pounds. If she ate mindfully, her body weight stayed comfortably within this range. She noticed that it was extremely difficult to lose any weight if she weighed 115 pounds, and her body felt uncomfortable when it broached the upper limit. Angie's ability to listen to her body helped her to eat mindfully and to stay within her natural range.
Skill Builder: Identify Your Natural Body ShapeDraw a family tree. Identify those family members who have struggled with mindless eating. If food and weight haven't been a topic of conversation, look at family pictures. Take into account how bodies changed from childhood to old age. Think about whether over-, under-, or chaotic eating is a family pattern. While you are at it, appreciate the family traits that people admire and compliment, like unique green eyes or naturally curly hair.
Adopted Families and Food AnxietyIf you were adopted or frequently ate with people other than your biological parents, your primary caregivers still played a significant role in shaping your eating habits. They did this by what they fed you and the messages about food they taught to you. Linda's adoptive mother provides a poignant example of how subtle, mindless eating habits are learned. Although Linda's mother did not encourage her daughter to diet, she constantly restricted her own food intake. She never ate the elaborate meals she prepared for her family. Linda observed her mother's eating habits and subconsciously incorporated them into her own routines. She wouldn't eat foods her mom avoided because they had "too much fat." Never underestimate the importance of your environment and role models.
Skill Builder: Identify Learned Food HabitsWrite a list of what constituted a "typical meal" when you were growing up. List how many times a day you ate, and what the common foods and snacks were. What kind of messages did you receive about your body, food, and how to eat as a child and adolescent? How do those messages affect you now? What kind of food culture do you want to create in your own family, dorm, or household?
