Research shows that most women complain of feeling inadequate, insecure and depressed after watching Fashion Shows or TV programs. There is an undeniable link between gaining weight and watching too much TV.
Please read this scenario from my Online Program for Women Struggling with Food and see if you can relate:
“You start watching a movie where the main character, miss Wonderful, is a slender, sexy blond.
She has everything anyone could ever want: She has the man of her dreams slobbering all over her, she lives in a mansion and drives a sports car. She is popular, smart, funny and she is an impressive career woman.
She has no children, no financial problems, no dirty laundry, no acne and definitely no PMS. She makes you sick with envy: You hate your life!
Your mind starts to drift to food: What can you eat to numb this pain of dissatisfaction and inadequacy?
Then, as if someone in the marketing industry could hear your thoughts; a commercial break.
The screen starts dripping with thick, luscious chocolate. Another miss Perfect slip a perfect square of chocolate in between her red Botox lips and whisper to you that chocolate will make all your dreams come true.
You run to the kitchen and discover your secret stash – a pack of old peanut M&M’s behind the frozen veggies. You also grab some ice cream and graham crackers.
You arrive just in time to see miss Wonderful zip up her tiny mini skirt: She looks so great! You sigh, then shove a handful of M&M’s in your mouth and swallow it down with tears of failure.
Sounds familiar?”
TV watching is linked to certain eating disorders such as Binge Eating Disorder. It’s not just the lack of physical activity that causes weight gain, but the food commercials trigger cravings, and the images of perfect bodies cause feelings of dissatisfaction and inadequacy which in turn are “medicated” through binging.
If you have an eating disorder you want to be especially aware of your surroundings and in touch with your body when you eat. Sitting down at a table, talking to others or enjoying a great view is the best way to do this.
Eating on the run, or in front of the computer or TV is just downright looking for trouble. You may not even be aware that you are trying to numb feelings of stress, pain, inadequacy and dissatisfaction, because you loose touch with reality and your own body when you’re eating and watching TV or surfing the web.
What you really need when these feelings wash over you is to find someone to talk to (God, a friend or a counselor). I know it’s difficult, but let your feelings be a red light, warning you to not turn on the computer or TV when you’re not feeling okay. You already know what will happen if you give in and take the easy way out: Your mind will start wondering to food (all the commercials will be right there cheering you on) and you will find yourself in the kitchen anxiously tearing open bags and loading up on food in no time.
It took me a while to give up this idol. TV and food were definitely connected in my personal struggle with food: As long as I mindlessly watched TV to escape reality, I could not shake off my eating disorder. I was not even a “big” TV watcher, but when life got tough I would run to a “mind-numbing” activity such as watching TV while binging. I was really hiding from the world and my own scary feelings.
If you need more reasons (and research) to give up TV, please read the rest of this article: Food Addict: Beware of the TV!
However, if you already know that this is a problem for you, and you have tried countless times to walk away from the TV and stop binging without any success, then it might be time to get some help. Please have a look at my program for Women Struggling with Food and find out How to Stop Binge Eating and break this vicious cycle forever.
Here are Resources for you:
NEW: INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING online or in Beaverton Oregon
Call Heleen at (503) 914-2749 or Schedule online: www.LifeSolutions.io
Click on the image below to learn more about the 12 Week Online Program: Women Struggling with Food
Read my story. Click on the image below to download my ebook: God will I ever be free?
Appetite for Freedom WORKBOOK and DVD.
A great resource for small groups or individual use.
Click on the image below to find out more:
Hi
I haven’t left any comments yet, but have to say that this helped me so much. I never realized how much TV is affecting my binge eating. Thanks Heleen!