Having a fear of food isn’t something that’s restricted to summer, but this time of year can definitely strengthen it for many people.
If we have a fearful relationship with food and what it might do to our weight, the idea of wearing lighter clothes, sunbathing or heading to the beach can create more pressure. The holiday period can also mean our routines are broken or we are away from home so our autonomy over our eating and food preparation may be considerably reduced.
The safety of home
I have seen how being in their home environment can be of great comfort to people who fear food. Being at home means they can plan what they are eating, buy ingredients from familiar shops and prepare their own meals.
Eating out and the fear of the unknown
Eating out can be a real cause for concern. Clients describe how they plan ahead by scouring restaurant websites before deciding where to go for a meal out. They want to know what to eat in advance and have a ‘safe’ option before committing. Spontaneity around eating can create huge anxiety and difficulties in social eating situations with friends and family.
This can all be relatively well managed when you are close to home but planning can be harder when you are away on holiday. Food comes into sharper focus when you don’t know where you will be eating next. It’s common for me to have conversations with clients about the stress they are carrying ahead of their holidays about food.
The fear of calories
Unsurprisingly a big part of food fear is about calories. Despite the increase in research that shows that calories in and calories out don’t illustrate the whole picture of weight management, tracking numbers still remains a dominant measure.
We have more access to measurement of calories than ever before. We can track via apps, check food labels and read meal values on menus. When you’re fearful of food, these numbers can become mini dangers. The starkness of the numbers can literally impact the nervous system of someone who is already fearful of food. I’ve experienced how they can trash the mood of a meal as the food fearer reacts to the number, alters their menu choice and remains uneasy for the rest of the meal.
The intensity of counting numbers can begin as soon as someone wakes and impact the enjoyment of their whole day. If meals don’t go as hoped, which is often the case when we’re on holiday, the anxiety of eating a bigger calorie meal can lead to compensatory restriction. Hunger and low blood sugar triggered by restriction then in turn can lead to bingeing later on. So, the fear of calories fuels the restrict-crave-binge cycle that can last throughout the holiday.
The fear of certain foods
Another fear I regularly see in my counselling practice is the fear of certain foods. It’s very common that part of the fear they experience is about types of foods. Sweet and high carbohydrate foods are often regarded as the enemy. Sometimes, the fear of having a large plate of food put in front of them can be a real cause for concern.
I usually see that ‘healthy eating’ is regarded as ‘safe’. This could be a focus on making their own meals. It could mean taking inspiration from social media recipes and influencers. What I also see is that whilst healthy eating is a focus, it does not necessarily mean a balance of nutrient dense food. This is because fear of food can lead someone to focus on creating a selection of meals that feel safe. But the reality is often this is a narrow selection of a handful of meals on repeat that lacks a wide range of nutrients.
If calories are also being restricted, the restriction / binge cycle can still play out here. And it’s typically the sweet, salty and carbohydrate rich enemy food that someone reaches for when they feel low or have cravings. But giving into these temptations for someone who finds safety in clean healthy eating can lead to guilt and remorse in the aftermath. This can in turn lead to purging or a heightened desire to restrict calories in response.
The fear of the scales
The other important element of the fear of food is how it can be fuelled by weighing yourself. When someone is weighing themselves every day or multiple times a day being away from a set of scales on holiday can be another source of anxiety.
I hear how the daily weigh-in also has the power to set the tone of the day from the start. If the number is ‘good’, there may be leeway for a more balanced day of food. But if the number is ‘bad’, restriction or concern about what food is best to eat that day can become the overriding issue. This can negatively impact a fixation on calorie counting, make unknown situations even more distressing and ramp up the need to eat ‘clean’.
Finding some relief this summer
When I meet with clients after their holidays, they are typically in a much calmer place than before they went. They usually report that the issues they feared weren’t too bad in reality. This can be because they’ve found ways to release some of the pressure in advance.
This might look like carving out some time to yourself while you’re away or making sure you factor in activities you enjoy. It could mean taking the lead in choosing where to eat or buying some food for an impromptu picnic when it’s hard to find somewhere that feels right.
Sometimes just knowing that a holiday is only a holiday, not your full-time reality, can be enough to dial down the pressure and help you focus a little more on your enjoyment, and a little less on your relationship with food.
