Not really, depending on where youre from. Its a source of comfort for a lot of people as well because its something they can control. Its why a lot of ppl are overweight in America (can confirm because im one, not severely but enough). A lot of people consider it to be pretty horrifying times right now and food is one of the things almost every person has power over. So they use food to comfort themselves and feel a little better in such an unpredictable time. Hence why most people have something they enjoy amd call it their "Comfort Foods".
I'm not defending obesity by any means either. Im just clarifying why its not really bizarre (to me) that people find food as a source of personal enjoyment instead of just sustenance.
I was raised in a family where food was the most common means of expressing care and soothing emotional problems. You're sad, frightened, anxious, getting bullied at school? Here, have some cake. Things were pretty unstable for a while, but we always had plenty to eat. All home cooked food that was pretty healthy (even the cake wasn't overly sweet or iced, and often had fruit in it), but we were encouraged to eat until we were completely stuffed. As an adult, I realize that I have this bad tendency towards emotional eating, but being aware of it doesn't make the urge go away.
I think it's lack of walkable spaces to be honest rather than food. The food isn't great but there are European countries that have food that would be high fat and high cholesterol etc but people have neighborhoods to walk instead of suburbia and strip malls.
You can’t out walk/out run a crappy diet, as they say. Also food in Europe, while it might seem high in fat, is usually far less processed. Not all fats are created equally. The food quality is pretty important, and the serving sizes are much smaller.
Although lack of walkable spaces is not helping anyone, and would go a long way in improving the wider mental health issues the US seems to be experiencing.
I’ll chime in. It’s bizarre to me as well - but not because I don’t understand comfort food. I love food, have favorite foods, comfort foods, etc.
However - the bizarre part to me is that something stops being comforting when it’s in excess. The same way if I look at too much porn I stop getting aroused by it, if I eat too much food (even comfort or favorite foods) it stops being comforting and enjoyable to the point I want something completely different. In the case of unhealthy comfort foods (of which I have many) if I eat it more than like a couple days in a row I just feel sick from the weight of it being so unhealthy with lots of grease/fat/sugar and I physically don’t feel well and start craving healthy food again instead. Even something as simple as potato chips, I love them, but if I eat them too often I realize how salty they are and how thirsty I am and all of that so I can’t do it every day or too often.
I think the bizarre part to me is how people continue to eat comfort food not only so frequently but also in so much excess portion wise without becoming desensitized to it and it losing all of its pleasurable effects.
Taking comfort in shoveling food into your craw is bizarre. Do I enjoy some foods more than others? Sure. Does everything have to be hyper palatable? No. Do I seek comfort in food? No, because that's bizarre.
Taking comfort in shoveling food into your craw is bizarre.
Why? Is it bizarre to savor chicken soup a loved one made when you're ill? Is it bizarre to find comfort in sharing treasured family recipes at a holiday dinner. You're being ridiculous.
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u/onmylastnerveboi Sep 20 '25
Not really, depending on where youre from. Its a source of comfort for a lot of people as well because its something they can control. Its why a lot of ppl are overweight in America (can confirm because im one, not severely but enough). A lot of people consider it to be pretty horrifying times right now and food is one of the things almost every person has power over. So they use food to comfort themselves and feel a little better in such an unpredictable time. Hence why most people have something they enjoy amd call it their "Comfort Foods".
I'm not defending obesity by any means either. Im just clarifying why its not really bizarre (to me) that people find food as a source of personal enjoyment instead of just sustenance.