Party party party 2 As we get older alcohol is added to the mix, further intensifying the link between fun and food. With alcohol comes sexual flirtation – as Shakespeare reminded us,‘ Drink... it addeth to the desire, but it taketh away the performance’. Then we add the excitement of sexual flirtation, and the pleasure and pride of dressing up – you can see that food is now keeping some mighty powerful company. With each celebration, each party, each treat, the connection that we each have to food is given more depth and more meaning. By the time we reach adulthood, the association between food and having a party is irreversibly established deep in our mind. Food becomes one of the ultimate forms of reward that we can experience as a human being. Eating becomes‘ party time’. For many of us food is absolutely the ultimate form of reward in our day-to-day lives. More specifically, certain foods come to represent‘ party time’ better than others. Chocolate would be the old faithful in this regard. Think about the foods that cause you the most problems – your favorite stack-on-the-weight foods – how many of them are the foods you typically find at a party? For many people I work with, eating their favorite or forbidden foods is really an escape from their stressful lives into their own brief little party. If you start to think through the last few paragraphs I think you can see the problem that arises when our doctor tells us, or we tell ourselves, that we have to stop eating those unhealthy foods and go and exercise more. Consciously we will think that is a good idea – we all want to be healthier and lose weight – but deep down in our unconscious, a much more powerful voice is quietly, but firmly, saying‘ Nice idea, but it ain’ t gonna happen – too many sacrifices in that plan.’ It’ s a bit like being told you’ re never going to party or have fun again! For most people who then start to diet this is the beginning of a quiet rebellion.