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Does Overindulgence Make You Happy? – Why We Binge as a Way of Celebrating

Five takeaways:

1. Overindulging in food can make people happy, especially if they do it with loved ones. The long-term effects of overindulging, such as weight gain, may not be as detrimental to happiness as commonly believed.
2. While the health effects of overeating habitually are not up for debate, Brooks argues that fitness influencers and the dieting industry make us believe that any overeating is a cardinal sin. It is not!
3. A study of 23,000 Dutch citizens found that moderately overweight people were just as happy and satisfied with their lives as people with a normal weight.
4. Brooks suggests that rather than worrying about weight gain, people should focus on the pleasure and enjoyment that comes from eating and socializing with loved ones during the holiday season.
5. Brooks offers three final tips for enjoying festive dining– and avoiding negative physical or emotional effects when it comes to holiday overeating:
   • Confine the feast to the day of the celebration: Eat heartily on the day, but don’t overindulge in leftovers.
   • Remember to pause and be grateful: be mindful of not just the food, but the atmosphere and loved ones nearby. It will create a stronger lasting memory than any meal might on its own.
   • Don’t beat yourself up: Feeling guilty won’t help you recover, and will only make your holiday that much less enjoyable. Enjoy the holiday as much as you can and be ready to revert to better habits in the days that follow.

From Arthur C. Brooks at The Atlantic:
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