I recently came across a question ‘Should I eat to live or live to eat?’ in a forum. Interesting! It reminded me of a discussion with a few friends, who felt that good food was the most satisfying thing on earth.

We always hear about people smoking too much, drinking too much, etc. Eating too much, however, rarely seems to be a vice. People look at such people with pity. The fat people themselves, meanwhile, convince themselves that it is hereditary. Their parents are fat, their siblings are fat, and they are fat too. It doesn’t ever occur to them that all these people have the same eating habits too, which is why they are all of the same shape.

I have nothing against overweight people. Most of the times, they are really sweet, jovial people. What I’m trying to point out here is, overeating IS a vice. It is done to please the senses, and in that respect, is equivalent to smoking, drinking, or having sex. None of these things are bad in moderation. But too much – becomes an addiction and eats up your life.

Did you know that being overweight increases your chances of dying? There is an overwhelming evidence that for each 10% increase of weight (above normal), mortality increases by 20%. (from The Life Extension Foundation Guide to Better Health by Dr Harry J. Johnson) This means, that if you are 60kg today instead of your average 50kg, you are 40% more likely to die as compared to your 50kg counterpart.

I know people who would scoff at the idea of fasting. Others who fast are looked down upon as religious fools. Fasting is not good if done too often, but if you think that you can’t survive a single day without any food at all, you need to do a rethink. It isn’t about dieting, it isn’t about a religion, nor is it about cleansing your body. It is about self-control.

It gives you better control over your body. It teaches you to resist temptation. It teaches you to focus your mind – because you’ll eventually have to take your mind off food, so you stop feeling hungry. And then, it teaches you sympathy for people who rarely get to eat.

Eat to live. To survive. If you fill all the parts of a car with petrol, you might end up burning it. What do you think you do to your body when you fill it up with too much fuel – food?