We're Being Trained to Feed Our Feelings!

There are many reasons we may choose to "feed our feelings," but I think one of the sneakiest factors lies in the advertising that permeates nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Even though we may not actively seek out advertisements, we are passively absorbing their messages through a kind of mental osmosis. 

Now don't get me wrong. There is nothing inherently wrong with emotional eating, and everyone will do it from time to time. But it is problematic if food is the primary way you reward yourself or cope with uncomfortable feelings. That is a sign that you need to get some new tools in the toolbox. 

Here are a  few of my favorite advertisements that represent what I'm talking about. I hope they amuse you, but I really hope they heighten your awareness about the messaging we are subjected to around food and feelings. 

Cadbury: "Fix your day with Cadbury." I know it is a joke that "chocolate fixes everything," but this is taking things too far. Chocolate is for enjoyment - not for fixing whatever feels broken in your life. 

Cane's: "Cavity-free? You deserve a treat!" Honestly, I don't know what one has to do with the other. I guess it would be worse if they were dangling sugary soda or candy in front of a cavity-free kid. 

McDonald's: "A trophy for waking up." I mean, once you are rewarding yourself with food because you woke up, what shouldn't you reward yourself for?