But where’s the balance? When do we lose our power over food? When does food stop being compelling to us? And why does it all matter?

If only I could answer all those questions in a blog post. Instead, I’ll offer an example.

Throughout high school, I was a star at getting in 3+ healthy meals a day. I ate breakfast every single morning. When I came to college, that all stopped. I’m still a lover of healthy food but when I get too busy, meals are one of the first things cut from my day.

College students like to think we are invincible; we can work without nourishment, hydration, or rest. But when you hit five pm, feel terrible, and wonder why, the lack of food in your life (or mine, as I’ve been there) is a likely culprit.

Our age group is a major portion of those afflicted with conditions like anorexia, bulimia, and stress overeating. Those people have lost their control over their relationship with food. Overworked students who compete over who ate the fewest meals in a week show the possibility of removing food from our diet and replacing it with power drinks and Adderall.

It matters because we are, as much as I hate to say it, what we eat. I have a friend who unapologetically hates all “fat people.” My general love for this particular friend is greatly tested by this declaration. He feels that all it takes for anyone to get healthy is some dedicated time with a treadmill, ignoring all the social, emotional, and cultural factors that influence what and how we eat.

I will never say “eat this, eat that” but I urge you to simply think about it sometimes. Your eating decisions are as much a part of you as the clothes you wear or the movies you watch.