There is a perceptible increase in obesity among youth. People are acquiring more diseases these days due to excessive eating instead of lack of food. Earlier hunger was a major problem. Hunger is still a major problem in some under-developed countries.
However, among the growing urban population, the latest problem is Eating Disorder - which may be due to improper eating. While people in poor countries generally eat less and do more of physical work, so the result is their overall fitness, the people in prosperous regions do more of eating and less of physical work, which results in improper health.
We find increasing number of instances of diseases due to excessive eating, obesity and lack of digestion.

People eat to live a healthy life. However, some people live to eat. They develop such habits, which are actually harmful to them. Such habits cause disorders to them. Eating disorders are the instances of improper habits with regard to eating.

Examples of Eating Disorders:

There are many instances of eating disorders, a few examples are presented here: -

1. eating too much at a time
2. eating only one type of food
3. eating too frequently
4. eating too fast
5. eating without appetite or having no appetite for food
6. eating without properly relaxed posture
7. eating very much spicy food
8. eating improperly cooked or improperly baked food
9. eating indigestible food or food which is difficult to digest
10. eating food containing less nutritious contents
11. eating old food
12. eating incompatible food (food which are not compatible with each other)
    
    

What and How of Eating:If we eat properly, it helps our body in digesting the food properly and ultimately it leads to good health. Eating properly is necessary for our own good health and wellness. Eating should be done in following manner:

1. Eat fresh food: we should eat fresh food – which is enough warm (except for Icecream or other such products –which are eaten cold)
2. Eat very slowly and comfortably: eat when you are very comfortable. Sit in a comfortable posture and eat with complete relaxation. Eat at slow pace so that each bite is properly chewed and properly digested. The purpose of eating should be careful chewing and careful digestion
3. Eat variety of food: our body needs different types of nutritious contents, which cannot come from only a single type of food. Therefore, in order to have a balanced diet, we should eat a variety of food, which would supplement our body for its nutritious requirements
4. Eating compatible food: eat food which is compatible within itself. Two types of food items which are not compatible with each other – can cause harm to us.
5. Eating food to meet our nutritious requirements – we should prepare a dietary chart in consultation with dietitian and follow that. We should eat to meet our health requirements. Eating excessive or eating improperly can harm us.
6. Eating at proper time gap: We should eat when we feel hungry. We should eat at proper time interval – which should contribute to our health. Eating too frequently often causes harm. Eating at improper gap also causes harm to us. We should ideally follow a proper schedule for eating so that we may experience proper health and wellness.
7. Avoid temptation of taste and fashions: eating just for taste or just because others are eating a particular food can be harmful to us. We have to understand our own body’s requirements and take up food which is suitable to our own body and our health. We should eat for good health and not for good taste. Less spicy food may be good for our health, but may not be as tasty as spicy food, but we have to avoid taking spicy food, which may be harmful to our own health.

Educting people about Eating:A large number of people waste a lot of food every day just because they are not aware and conscious of eating as a scientific practice. They take up food when it should not be taken. They take excessive food. They take up food which should not be taken. There is a need to train people about eating as a scientific practice. Schools and educational institutions should start training children about science of eating.

Dietitians and doctors should be invited periodically to guide common people about the science of eating. Good practices in eating would result in good health for common people and would also contribute to the overall health and fitness of everyone. This would also save a large amount of food, which is otherwise wasted away due to lack of awareness about science of eating.