SECRET EATING

I've literally lost count of the number of times I've eaten in secret.

-  Victoria Kleinsman

Why do we hide food and eat in secret?

What should we do about it?

Can you relate?

I can't even remember the first time I did it but I know it was when I was a child. I rebelled right from a young age...! I used to get told off for taking food off other people's plates (rightly so I guess) or for being too greedy. That was a regular thing that was said to me- being greedy. And who wants to be seen as "greedy"...?!

As an adult, I'd hoard food and hide it and then eat it all in secret not wanting to share. When I binged I'd want to be alone because 1, I didn't want anyone to see what and how much I was eating and 2, I didn't want to share as there might not be enough.

When I used to buy binge food I'd feel so ashamed of what I was buying I'd say to the cashier (before self-service was a thing) "Girls night tonight!" so she wouldn't think it was all for me and judge me(!)

When I used to babysit I'd raid the cupboards and feel deeply ashamed of what I'd eaten and worry for weeks about what they'd think of what I'd eaten.

I'd eat 12 crispy creme doughnuts in one go and then hide the box in next-door neighbour's bin in the dark.

I'd sneak chocolates and biscuits from the back office at work, hide them in the broom cupboard and then eat them later in the toilet when I didn't have customers.

I'd wait for my man to have a shower and then I'd dive into the freezer, defrost brownies- that I'd frozen in an attempt to stop me eating them- and eat them hurriedly in the toilet feeling as bad as if I'd pushed an old lady into the road or something.

I'd pour our milk down the sink and be like "Oh no we've run out of milk... don't worry I'll go and get some for us" and then eat 2 family-sized chocolate bars in the car parked down the road from our house.