Eating For Praise

Published: Sept. 3, 2019, 2:28 a.m.

Joe comes from a background of food.\xa0 His Italian family revolved around meals; the grocery shopping, the preparation, and the family gathering around the table.\xa0 His very large extended family regularly engorged themselves at Sunday dinners.\xa0 He remembers the adults in his life praising his huge appetite which made him think that eating would earn him praise and love.\xa0 But the reverse became true for Joe as he grew into his teens, when classmates would reject him due to his obesity.