1 Chapter 1 – Party party party Begin as you wish to continue. Bob Spelta, Psychiatrist I ' ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I ' ve lost is two weeks. Totie Fields After we are born, first we sort out the oxygen problem. Once we work out how to breathe it in, the very next thing that we look for is food. From that moment on food plays a deep and meaningful role in our lives. Every time we get upset during these first few years, chances are we will have a nipple, fake or real, stuffed into our mouth to soothe us – and often it will work! Think of the association we build up between feeling better, or being soothed, and food. Every major event and celebration involves food – indeed often they revolve around food. Graduations, weddings, Christmas and Easter – even funerals are not complete without food. And of course there is the most important event of the year for every one of us – our birthday. What would you think of your birthday party if there was no food, no birthday cake? Think about the key role of the cake – it holds the candles that, when lit, trigger the singing and hooraying. As children, when we were given a treat by parents and influential adults, often it was food, or food was a key part of it. There are few special activities that don’ t involve food. What would a trip to the movies or a theme park be without popcorn, sweets or soft drink? These celebrations or special times are when we relax and have fun. Fun and food become closely connected and live side by side in our minds. Each celebration cements this relationship further. Some events, such as graduations, are very important landmarks, so the food now comes packaged with respect.