Did it bother you to watch Penny eat on Big Bang Theory?

I remember in one particular episode, Penny and Leonard are having an anniversary dinner and eating spaghetti, and all I could think about was the spaghetti. I watched how much was portioned out on each plate to see what normal people portions were supposed to look like. What pace they ate at. Why they weren't eating it faster. If Penny really ate it or spit it out between takes.

I couldn't understand how they could focus on their lines if they had food in front of them. How could they not want to dive into that plate of food?? How did it not consume their thoughts?

This can be a sign of a disordered relationship with food.

The focus on food is what your brain will do if it senses that food is not accessible (physical restriction), or will shortly be not accessible (mental restriction).

Your brain is designed to perseverate on what it needs, so that you’re more inclined to go get it. This is evolutionary and appropriate to human survival. It is not a sign that you are broken or a food addict.

Our brains have not caught up with our actual evolution, and doesn’t realize that supermarkets are around the corner or that you are eating less on purpose. It only knows that food availability is threatened, even if it’s only via thoughts of restricting (your brain will react to planned restriction, which means thoughts of dieting or eating less tomorrow).

Is this something you've noticed yourself? Do you find yourself focusing on the food in TV shows? What do you make of this? Share below or feel free to contact me for more information about healing your relationship with food.