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Why Eat?

Sometimes we find ourselves wondering why we need to eat. It can feel silly, but this question often crosses our minds, especially given the culture we live in. We may discount our need for food when we find ourselves exhausted by the constant task of making or buying meals, or when we find ourselves tempted to restrict our eating in order to manipulate our bodies. The topics of food, nutrition, and diets are so commonly talked about and nitpicked across media, yet the topic of why we actually need food can often be overlooked! 

So let’s take a step back and look at the big picture. Why do I even need to prioritize nourishing my body? These are some things that we might hear in media or among friends:

Food is fuel. 

Food is medicine. 

Eat for your blood/body type. 

Eat to regain control of your health. 

Eat for your mental health. 

Food is fun.

Eat by the season. 

Eat intuitively. 

Eat to nourish. 

Some of these statements feel loaded–implying something should work for you that is actually impossible! Some might bring shame and anxiety, and some might resonate with us more than others. As a dietitian who works closely with people and their relationship to food and nutrition, I certainly find some of the phrases more helpful or harmful than others. Let’s have a conversation later about how these ideas sit with you! Ultimately, we miss the point when we focus too much on one way of viewing food’s place in our life. Food serves different purposes for us in different seasons across our lives. 

So, if you are wondering, “Yeah, why do I need to eat?” My most foundational and technical answer is that food supplies energy and nutrients to our organs for vital life-sustaining purposes. The biggest portion of what we eat goes towards things like breathing, circulation, the heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, liver, and spleen. Of course all activity we do requires energy/calories, but it is important to consider the large amount of fuel our vital organs require to sustain basic life- even apart from any activity we do throughout the day.

Did you know that our vital organs consume about 60-70% of the total nutrition needs that we have? So even if we did no activity at all and slept for the day, the majority of our nutrition needs would still be required. It is a common misconception that all or most of the calories we require go towards our exercise and activity, leading to the false concept of needing to “burn off” what we eat with exercise. After the 60-70% required for our vital organs, our normal daily activity accounts for 15-30% of the energy we need. This includes all activities of normal living, not only stereotypical “exercise” (think sitting in a chair, random fidgeting, standing, playing an instrument, stirring a pot of soup, getting dressed). The final 10% of our energy needs goes towards the process of digesting food. 

How does this insight make you feel? Could this be a shift in your mindset for how you consider what food you need to eat? 

When we consistently under-nourish ourselves, our body ends up compensating by slowing down metabolism in order to preserve itself and spare as many calories as possible. Our bodies are highly skilled at ensuring survival. The body will reduce functions in order to slow metabolism. This slowing down of metabolism has many effects, which include decreased muscle mass, decreased temperature, slowed chemical reactions and reflexes, tiredness, decreased heart function, constipation or more serious GI issues, and reproductive problems. Having enough nutrition to support these functions is often more important than we realize. 

I invite you to consider why it is that you feed yourself. Could you benefit from the practice of remembering your body needs meals and snacks for basic function and survival? Might you benefit from seeing food as a partner and resource for living the life you want to live? Our culture is skilled at distracting us from the simple need to feed ourselves. When I talk with clients about getting enough food throughout the day, one of the first things we discuss is why exactly we need this energy. Adequate nutrition intake is not for “balancing out” a trip to the gym, but is more significantly a resource for maintaining our heartbeat and allowing our bodies to thrive.

Emily Kee is a registered dietitian at Elle. She specializes in disordered eating as well as acute and chronic health conditions. She is accepting new clients for those who are ready to explore how nutrition and their perception of food impacts their day to day life.