Cebu City - With the pressure brought upon social media in different platforms on having the ‘ideal body’ most of the time people tend to cut off their food intake or choose diets that may eventually lead to bad relationship with their food. 

Often times with prolonged negative approach when it comes to food, it would lead to a more serious eating disorder. Signs of bad relationship with food is as simple as feeling guilty when eating, or that you tend to avoid or binge eat, following the latest fad diets, ignoring the feeling of hunger is also a sign. A big red flag sign is when you feel stressed or that the feeling of anxiety rises when you are eating out with a group of friends, you feel pressured that you have to eat more or the same as the group in order to fit in.

Experiencing at least one of those signs mentioned is already an indication that you don’t have a good relationship with food. Realizing that this is a problem is already a step. It's also critical to recognize that food has a deeper meaning for you than simply providing energy to your body. Humans eat for a variety of reasons, including socializing, joy, pleasure, culture, and tradition.
To develop a healthy relationship with food, here are some steps that you can begin with:

• Give yourself unrestricted freedom to indulge in your favorite meals, also pay attention to and heed your body's natural hunger signals.
  
  
• When you are hungry, eat, and when you are full, stop.
  
  
• Don't get fixated on the scale's reading, don't let other people's preferences influence what you eat. Your food decisions are not primarily based on calories, savor every meal in moderation.
  
  
• And lastly surround yourself with a good support system, with a positive energy that encourages you in every step you take to be a better version of yourself. // DMO II Christine April M. Lopez, RND