It appears you have not yet registered for SparkPeople. To get a free nutrition and fitness plan and join our community click here....

Nutrition Articles     |    Special Concerns

PRINT Share
SparkPeople Sponsors help keep the site free!
 

What is "Normal" Eating? - Part 1

Test Your Knowledge with the Normal Eating Quiz

-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert
SparkPeople Sponsors help keep the site free!
Do you often wonder how “normal” your eating habits are, or how they compare to what experts consider to be a “healthy” approach?

If you’ve adopted SparkPeople's philosophy of a "lifestyle” approach to weight loss, then you know that a crash diet—or any other temporary diet—isn’t a good idea. But what does “normal” eating look like, especially when you have quite a bit of weight to lose? Do you sometimes wonder where to draw the line between doing what’s necessary to lose weight, and becoming too focused on what you eat? Are you confused about whether normal eating is something you start doing after you’ve lost the weight, or something you should aim for now as part of your weight loss program? And can you recognize the difference between normal eating behaviors and attitudes, disordered eating, and full-fledged clinical eating disorders—and determine when you or a family member might benefit from professional help?

If you feel a little confused about all this, you’re not alone. There are a lot of confusing and contradictory claims floating around about what’s “normal” when it comes to food.

This article, the first in a series of three articles discussing "normal" and abnormal eating habits, contains a quiz that will help you identify your own eating behaviors, attitudes and assumptions. When scoring your quiz, you'll learn how your behaviors stack up against what the experts say about healthy, normal weight loss and effective long-term weight maintenance.
Page 1 of 4   Next Page >       Return to Main nutrition Page >

PRINT Share
Add This to My SparkFavorites
 




 


Related Content


Related Poll


About The Author
Dean Anderson Dean Anderson
Dean Anderson has master's degrees in human services (behavioral psychology/stress management) and liberal studies. His interest in healthy living began at the age of 50 when he confronted his own morbid obesity and health issues. He joined SparkPeople and lost 150 pounds and regained his health. Dean has earned a personal training certification from ACE and received training as a lifestyle and weight management consultant. See all of Dean's articles.


Member Comments About This Article
See All 39  |  Leave A Comment


Today On SparkPeople
Featured Article
Exercise Keeps Your Mind Sharp

A new study from the National Institutes of Health found that the most sedentary individuals are 2.5 times more likely to develop dementia than regular exercisers.

Read More
MessageBoard Hot Topics
Top Searches
Assisted Pull-up Machine
Use this machine to progress to a full pull-up.
SparkRecipes: Featured Recipe
Chef Meg's Roasted Beet Salad
Submitted By: CHEF_MEG

Beets are an underrated vegetable. They're sweet and flavorful. If you think you don't like them, try them in this recipe. Roasting brings out the beets' natural sweetness, and the feta offers a nice, salty contrast.
TIP: Buy your beets with the greens still attached--it's great way to check for freshness and the greens can be used for another recipe. Full Recipe

 Search SparkRecipes
Activity Stats
  • Calories Burned: 7,554,409,906
  • Pounds Lost: 9,994,709
  • Cups Water Drank: 231,060,467
  • SparkAmerica Minutes: 1,113,194,505
Join SparkPeople For Free!
Get a personalized diet and fitness plan, great newsletters, post to our message boards, and even your own personal SparkPage!

Join Now For Free!