A young man gets out of the shower, looks in the mirror, squares off his shoulders takes a deep breath and critically inspects his upper body. If he is not pleased with what he sees, he may make a mental decision to go to the gym or to eat more protein that day. For another person if the number on the bathroom scale has not changed, she may redouble her efforts to cut out the fat and cut back on the amount of food she will eat. For many of us, how we feel about our bodies on a given day effects our food choices and how we feel about ourselves when we eat. Food can also be a reward, a way to exert control or a way to rebel within an individual or between people.
Food is one of the first places a child can exert control in their lives.
No matter what age a person is they have ultimate control over what they eat. Family members may be the food provider, shopper or preparer, but the individual diner makes the final decision about whether or not to eat the food. Children learn very early that what they eat is important to their parents, and they often use this knowledge to their advantage. This battle of wills can be seen in such events as a youngster sitting at the table for an hour after dinner is over while the parent waits for them to eat one stalk of asparagus or in the child not allowed to eat sweets at home who then chows on cookies at the neighbors house. Food for many people remains a source of control in their adult lives as well.