Why do so many of us indulge in overeating?
Believe it or not, human beings have actually evolved to eat more than they need for good nutrition. Once this was an adaptive behavior—when early humans had to gear up for periods of scarce food supplies. In our society, of course, this behavior of eating more than is required to meet our needs is maladaptive and detrimental.
So, why haven't we developed enough self-control to eat in amounts that are optimal for our health? Why are we failing to regulate our eating habits in the midst of plenty? In other words, why do so many of us forgo the long-term benefits of eating in moderation and instead succumb too often to immediate gratification?
Of course there are always personal and individual reasons, but I think from your question you are asking more about overeating as a general cultural phenomenon rather than on the personal level. So that's how I'll answer.
There are two factors widely acknowledge as contributing to our societal proclivity for eating too much. First, there is the rewarding value of modern foods. Food is everywhere; it is rich, calorie dense, cheap enough, sweet enough. This seems to make people vulnerable to the satisfaction of their immediate desires and needs over any long-term goals.
The second factor that is relevant to the problem of overeating in our society is the experience of stress. Stress has been shown to increase the amount of comfort food people eat.
The abundance of food in our society is a reality, and so is the abundance of stress. These difficult economic times, and uncertainty in other realms of how our world functions, add even more stress to our lives.
When the future seems scary, or uncertain, it may just be a quick easy answer to have a rich dessert, and throw self-control out the window.
Despite the omnipresence of very palatable foods, despite the stresses that modern life imposes on us, it isn't hopeless. There are ways for us to build up our stores of self control; there are ways for us to keep our long-term goals front and center in our minds; and there are ways of coping with stress that are much more effective than overeating—and anyone can learn them.
Every day individuals change their behavior, and begin to act in ways that are better for them. So while the general trend right now in the U.S. and in many other places is toward overeating and being overweight or obese, as individuals we can begin to do things differently.
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