Overeating

"It is difficult to speak to the belly, because it has no ears."

- Plutarch.

Bad Habits

OVEREATING or gluttony is one of the greatest sins perpetrated against the human body. The habit of overeating is almost universal, and if there is one thing more than another, the truth of which we will not admit, even to ourselves, it is that we eat too much - we overeat. I think I am well within the mark in making the statement that nine out of every ten persons habitually overeat. The most refreshing thing imaginable is that everyone of the nine will instantly rise up in arms and positively deny the charge, which, however, stands as an indisputable fact. When one considers that the capacity of the human stomach approximates in size one pint or less, no special logic or argument will be required to convince any ordinary individual that it is simply a miracle how the little stomach tolerates the enormous amounts of food stuffs which it does, often amounting to one, two, or even three quarts of material. If as we have stated, the habit of overeating is almost universal, there must be a reason for it. Quite true there is, and a good one too. One which goes a long way back, in fact to the very root of the evil. It is a matter of- education or non-education - ignorance would probably be a better term for it. No sooner is a child born into this world than the "overfeeding" process begins. The mother in her excessive anxiety for the welfare of the child, fears the child will die unless fed every few minutes; and it may be said with truth that between the overfeeding (or "stuffing") and bad feeding of children, it is a wonder that so many of them get safely through childhood as do. Parents are entirely ignorant of or pay but little attention to what or how to feed their children. Consciously or unconsciously they encourage them to eat largely, the commonly accepted idea being that unless one eats largely the bodily powers fail. Children are quick to absorb the atmosphere, or draw certain inferences, where ideas of large and frequent feeding are inculcated by the parents. Ordinarily any boy can eat well, but if you want to see one eat extraordinarily, in fact to gorge himself, encourage him just a little, and you will be rewarded in seeing him stow away the whole of a regular bill of fare, in addition to many other things too numerous to mention. When he has finished he will look up for an approving smile and, of course, everyone says in so many words: "Good boy."

Bad Habits Of Childhood

Fortunately Nature is very flexible with children, tolerating in them what she severely chastises in the adult. As a result of all this, children grow up absolutely ignorant of what or how they should eat; not only this but they acquire "bad habits" of eating, which are almost impossible to overcome in after life. When one considers that a properly fed child will never have a day's sickness, nor cause the parents the slightest anxiety, it is a matter of surprise that so little attention is given to the subject. Contrast a healthy, happy child with the "wind-colicky" kind, and the terror of night walking all thrown in. Sick children make home unhappy. While the cares and anxieties, worry and fretting incidental to sickness are frequently the starting point in the mother of what ultimately leads to a broken down constitution - a nervous wreck.

Intemperate indulgence in alcoholic liquors is a world wide evil, but is as nothing in comparison with intemperance in eating. The connection between these two forms of intemperance has escaped general attention, but it is a matter of common knowledge amongst those who study questions of this character, that overeating is largely responsible for the evils of alcoholic intemperance - in short it is the direct cause in the majority of cases. The stomach becomes overloaded with food; the mass or "mess" neither digests nor moves. The stomach rebels and manifests its rebellion by an uncomfortable writhing. Rightly interpreted it means the stomach is desirous of getting rid of its load - overload - up or down; "Only let me free," says the stomach. Individuals given to this sort of thing - surfeiting - are unable, seemingly, to correctly interpret their feelings under conditions as above described. One who is at all given to even moderate drinking is certain at this time to try an alcoholic liquor which temporarily seems to afford relief. It whips up the blood in the stomach to increased activity, producing an engorgement or more active circulation in the fluids of the stomach. Overeating produces the sensation of a "craving" or false thirst for drink. This is noticable more particularly in those suffering from chronic dyspepsia. Where meat is an article of diet the relationship between overeating and alcoholic intemperance is doubly accentuated, for the reason that meat is more particularly digested in the stomach, differing from most other foods in this respect. Meat is termed heavy of digestion on this account.

Intemperance - food intemperance - begins at home. It is here that self-control, the best of temperance, productive of good for all time to come, should be taught and enforced.