Hungry?

I think I just realised—most of the time I eat, I don’t actually feel all that hungry. I’m not yearning for food in a ravenous, stomach-gurgling kind of way. I just feel like eating.

First, what an incredibly privileged position to be in. I feel like that fact has been highlighted overseas. With eating out regularly being so much more attractive here than in Australia, from pretty much every angle, I’ve found myself seeking food for enjoyment more often than satiety.

That isn’t a bad thing per se. Trying new food is exciting. Eating great food is incredibly stimulating in a sensory way. I thoroughly enjoy cooking, not necessarily for the end product, but often just for the process therein. But none of these aspects really reflect a physiologically-driven need for fuel.

More frequently, I feel that the cue to eat arises from habit or boredom, or both. Simply put, I’ve become exceptionally conditioned to eat certain kinds of food, at certain times of the day, even if I have no true need for it. That is a by-product of the luxurious abundance of food I’ve basked in all my life. So easy to take for granted, but where my next meal was coming from has never been an issue for me.

Similarly, because the food we create and consume can offer so much stimulation and enjoyment—now more than ever—it promises an excellent remedy to boredom. It hits that perfect intersection for us, psychologically, between indulgence and productivity. It is necessary, yet also entirely appealing, much of the time.

More often than not, I’m surrounded by more food than I need. Inherently, that isn’t bad, but it also isn’t a position enjoyed by many billions across the globe. To some extent, this abundance undoubtedly serves me in a positive way. Yet, when the scale tilts too far towards waste, or overindulgence, it can become a profound negative. Whilst I don’t think I’m actually in that position, I definitely recognise that, quite often, I eat not due to true hunger, but rather, because I’m searching for some feel-good stimulation, or simply because that’s what I’ve always done. Just some personal food for thought.