Many eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are now recognized as medical conditions, but over eating is only just becoming considered by doctors because the damage to the body is slower and more long-term.

I would like to share the story of Marianne, an expatriate living in Riyadh.

“My husband had a good job as a financial controller and was always very busy. I didn’t have any work and could look after my two children myself. To everyone else, my life looked perfect, and I appeared happy, but all I ever thought about was food. Food was my best friend, and food made any bad feelings just disappear. I had hidden supplies of food that I would eat when there was no one else around. When I was eating, I felt safe, and when I ate, I focused on the food like it was a fix. To outward appearances, I was happy and cheery, and I always kept the peace at any price. Sometimes I would panic over the weight I was putting on and so I would starve myself all day, and then in the evening I would eat everything I could find, which would lead me to feel disgusted with myself. During this time, I joined diet clubs, and to the world, I pretended to eat moderately. I would get up and have a small breakfast with my family, but once they had left the house I would sit down and eat more. Eventually, you suggested that I should contact a therapist, and this was a real turning point. The therapist made me be honest with myself and face the fact that I had a problem and that I was burying my feelings for food. I was pretending that I had no feelings, and using food as my pay-off. I realized that the only way I could control the world I lived in was by creating a safe haven where I could eat and eat.”

Her therapist helped Marianne find another way, instead of eating. It has taken a lot of hard work to change her habits, to talk to her husband, family, and friends about her needs, and to try new things. Most of all, she has learned to accept that it is OK not to be perfect — it just makes you more interesting.

Join Me in My Weekly Task

Take an honest look at your snacking habits and limit your choice to snacks that are good for you.

Why? One major cause of weight gain is wayward snacking.

How? Swap a packet of crisps for a small handful of mixed nuts. Swap a cake or pie for fresh fruit salad and plain, low-fat bio yoghurt. Swap biscuits with tea to a nice sweet apple.

Recipe of the Week

Pineapple Barbecued Shrimp Skewers

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

3/4 cup pineapple juice

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro leaves

650g large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 5 cm chunks

6 metal or bamboo (soaked in water) skewers

Method

Combine the barbecue sauce, pineapple juice, lime juice and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Pour half of the pineapple-barbecue sauce mixture into a resealable bag, add the shrimp, and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. (Reserve the remaining sauce mixture for basting and serving.) Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, discarding the leftover marinade. Skewer the shrimp and pineapple onto the skewers. Grill the skewers on both sides until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. While the skewers are cooking, brush them with some of the reserved sauce. Serve the skewers with the extra pineapple-barbecue sauce for dipping.

Ask Alva

I am quite heavy in the hips and would like to shed extra pounds. I saw it mentioned in today's paper that you had a mini-morning workout for toning the whole body while losing weight. How can I get a copy of this? Yamuna

You can get a copy of my mini-morning workout by e-mailing me [email protected]. It really will help you to tone up your body. Alva