November 1997
Reasons for Overeating During the Holidays
- More than any other holiday, Thanksgiving is equated with
overeating in the United States. But each year, many of us end
the holiday feast asking ourselves why we ate so much. The San
Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute would like to suggest a Thanksgiving
story idea about eating and the holidays.
- Eating is a basic pleasure. Thanksgiving is particularly associated
with the pleasures of eating, being with family and friends, giving
thanks for abundance; thus, it is a holiday that promotes "feeling
full" of good things. From infancy, human instinct equates
a full belly with feeling filled up with goodness inside. Therefore,
food can become a substitute for feelings of satisfaction that
cannot be found elsewhere (i.e., love and security).
- The reasons for overeating are complex. Different families
have different cultures about food. Some families are big eaters
and habits regarding overeating can begin early in life. At the
other end of the spectrum, overeating can occur when people internalize
their struggles with other people, but play out these struggles
in their eating behavior.
- While overeating is often associated with people rewarding
themselves, it can also be a means of self-inflicted punishment
or rebellion. An adolescent may overeat if a mother puts too much
emphasis on her child to remain slim. Overeating can also be a
symptom of depression.
"Taking in food is something that a person can control,"
emphasizes Judith Schiller, Ph.D., a member of the San Francisco
Psychoanalytic Institute. "Just being aware of the reasons
for overeating can help individuals cope as they face Thanksgiving
and that extra piece of pie."
Dr. Judith Schiller is available for interviews on all eating
disorder topics, from anorexia and bulimia to overeating. Please
contact Mary Tressel, 1-800-260-2663, to arrange an interview.
News Room is published as a service to the media
by the San Francisco Foundation for Psychoanalysis.
Chairman/President and Scientific Editor: Mark Levy,
M.D. (415) 388-8040
Executive Director: Katharine Volz (415) 563-6065
Managing Editor: Mary Tressel (800) 260-2663
© 1997 San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute and Society
2420 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94115
Phone: (415) 563-5815 Fax: (415) 563-8406