Bored Panda wanted to learn more about why food memes appeal to us so much and how to have a healthy relationship with snacking, so we reached out to Dana Harron, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy. She is the author of Loving Someone with an Eating Disorder and has a blog on Psychology Today.
"Food is a big part of internet culture because it's a big part of our lives! Food is not just about nourishing our bodies, it serves a social function. Gathering around shared food has been a vital part of cultures for millennia. We find connectedness through sharing something that is so vital to our survival," Dr. Harron explained to us.
"Now, in the internet age, social bonding over food takes a somewhat different form. We 'meme' about food as a way of staying connected to our bodies and each other. Food has also come to serve an outsized function in many cultures; for example, in American culture many foods are seen as taboo but also reified, leaving many people with a deep conflict when they desire desserts or other foods that have been deemed 'unhealthy.'"
We were curious to learn more about our relationships with snacking when we're feeling bored. "It is not a problem to snack when bored some of the time," Dr. Harron, from Monarch Wellness & Psychotherapy, said that this is actually non-problematic.
"The issue comes about when people do not have enough 'tools' in their 'toolbox.' When people don't have a variety of ways to combat boredom, they end up over-relying on one or two," she told Bored Panda.
"In particular, food provides sensory stimulation and activates our brain's 'reward' centers," Dr. Harron explained that the solution to this is to have a variety of options to combat boredom in addition to food. This could be anything from reaching out to friends to playing games.
Food is an inescapable part of our lives, so it’s no wonder that it takes up such a large chunk of our lives. We’re constantly thinking about where to eat, what to cook, and what snacks we should reward ourselves with. Our breaks are full of coffee, donuts, and other sweet treats (don’t judge us, we’re trying to eat more healthily—promise).
Meanwhile, if we’ve stumbled across a great cafe or restaurant, we can’t wait but share what the experience was like with the people closest to us—whether in person or by posting pics of our food on Instagram. Not talking about food would be like ignoring the weather or movies and TV shows: next to impossible.
During an earlier in-depth interview with celebrated pie artist and author Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, she explained to Bored Panda why it is that we love talking about food so much.
"Some people think the internet was created to help remote universities share datasets with each other faster, but we know the real reason: to disseminate photos of kittens and our lunches as efficiently as possible. I kid, but only a little," she told us.
"Why do we love looking at food images so much? For the same reason we like looking at the other (ahem) kind of picture the internet is famous for—we need food to live and thrive as a tribe/species, so we're hardwired to seek it out,” the food expert shared with Bored Panda.
Pie artist Jessica also shared how we can eat more ‘mindfully.’ "Eating 'mindfully' goes a long way towards ensuring we not only derive more enjoyment from our meals but eat less and better," she told us.
"When you are eating, only eat. Don’t be walking around the kitchen. Don’t be scrolling on your phone. Don’t be watching TV or otherwise multitasking. Sit down with just you and your food and actually pay attention to each bite you are putting in your mouth. This will help you slow down, taste your food, and your brain will be more likely to acknowledge that you just ate, and ruminate on how you feel about what you just ate."
Bored Panda also asked Jessica for some tips and tricks to eat more healthily and improve our diets. She suggested drinking water instead of other beverages.
"A glass of water and a piece of fruit is way better for you than a glass of fruit juice. A glass of water and a handful of candy or chocolate bar is way more satisfying than a glass of sugary soda," she shared.
