by Ognyana Toneva
Vth Language School "John Ekzarch" - Varna, Bulgaria

 Stress (dictionary definition) - a continuous feeling of worry that prevents you from relaxing.

And could food - that daily, common thing - cause stress? Yes, it could. What is the main reason for this? The desire to look good- but not just fine or agreeable- no, you have to be perfect, with no extra kilo, like the models on the TV or in the magazines. You want to be liked by everyone- to be admired. You want to have something to be proud of- your body. And that way food can soon become your biggest enemy. Stress, caused by food is certainly a big problem, especially for young girls, who do not realize the possible dangers

“Oh, my God, how could I eat this piece of cake. I feel awful. These are plenty of calories. What I am going to now? I hate myself. How could I?…” This may sound funny or stupid to somebody, but most of all it is sad and frightening. It is almost incredible that the act of eating a simple piece of cake could cause a feeling of guilt. It can cause much more- it can make you up all night, it can make you cry and think about nothing else. It can entirely obsess your mind. Food is fine when it doesn’t interfere with your weight and when you can eat as much as you like. But when you want to be slim and in every piece of energy and vitamins see only calories, food is not fine, it is more than bad.

Aiming to have a beautiful body and feeling good in it is not wrong. But depriving yourself of food, vitally needed for your existence and health, is not the way to achieve this. You may go jogging or swimming or do some other sport you enjoy. You may eat one bar of chocolate instead of two or try to find out how tasty fruits actually are. But you should never allow food become your master- master of your thoughts and whole life.

Being under stress because of food is really dangerous. It may lead to both physical and psychological diseases. “Food and stress” is a problem created by the modern times and world. In the past nobody was afraid of eating something he loves, just because he knows it contains 800 calories. Maybe the clue to solving this problem is to be moderate in eating, not to deprive yourself, but also not to have more than you need. Nowadays, in this world full of problems and stress, you should never allow food to obsess your mind and become another reason for pressure You should have right attitude toward it and accept it as a friend of your brain and not as an enemy of your body.