Chapter 16 A social habit?

Health of the mind and body are the primary reasons for we should want to stop — but then, they always have been. We don't actually need scientific research and knowledge in nutrition science to tell us junk food is addictive and can potentially shatter our lives. These bodies of ours are the most sophisticated objects on the planet, and any user knows from the first bite that the stimulus can go to excess and turn poisonous.

The only reason why we ever get involved with junk food is the cycle's overlap with our evolutionary programming. Fast food is highly available, cheap and served twenty-four hours a day. Processed food was once considered harmless, but that was when portions were reasonable and meals were mostly home-cooked.

Today, it's generally considered — even by users themselves — that junk food is a supernormal stimulus and addiction-forming. In the old days, people didn't admit to binge eating, with glutton being a derogatory term. In every restaurant, cafe or diner, the majority of people would be proudly eating balanced, home-cooked meals. Today, the position is completely reversed for the junk food addict. Today's person realizes that they're beginning to feel they don't need real food. Banding together online, they discuss experiences, devise strategies and explores options. Today's strong person doesn't want to depend on processed foods. Through social revolution, all users are giving serious thought to stopping junk food consumption. Today's users consider junk food a useless and harmful activity.

The most significant trend noticed on forums is the increasing emphasis on the anti-social aspects of junk food, the days when someone boasted of eating massive portions every day is slowly being replaced with realization of slavery to the junk food monster.

The only reason why people continue after being educated is because they've failed to stop or are too frightened to try. There's a wide spectrum of interest in the subject, some abstaining from processed foods, sugar and artificial additives — with or without occasional treats. Practices that separate the social and nutritional parts of eating such as mindful eating and intuitive eating are discussed and adopted in droves. Many aforementioned failures are in reality fall-forwards, thus somewhat benefiting people practicing them. Once you start the clean eating route you'll find the best fit that applies to your life; it's encouraged to devise your own plan on nutrition after understanding and practicing food separation. Whatever your route, you'll see value in limiting the number of times you flood your brain with chemicals through junk food, and never again seeing processed food as a pleasure or crutch for your emotional self.

Various popular online communities founded by non-users are dedicated to quitting not only junk food but also processed foods. These sites are ultimately beneficial to those escaping, but most notes point them to try willpower. The consequence of obsession with diet streaks and other measures is self-pity and lack of elation. Much of the brainwashing remains alive and well. Eventually, someone breaks down and a domino effect takes place, other users finding out they aren't the only ones. However, their efforts aren't in vain, they're falling forward, albeit with lots of self-torturing as they shut down their cravings but not the desire and need. EasyPeasy works in the reverse, shutting down the need and desire first, before shutting down the cravings. Every day more and more users leave the sinking ship and those left on it become terrified they'll be the last.

DON'T LET IT BE YOU!