Food, for many people who have struggled with what society deems as "extra weight" is a very emotional issue. We have been deprived of it, told it is not good for us, been told it is forbidden. As a result, it takes on totemic qualities.

We dream and fantasize about it. What would it be like if we could eat anything we want? We binge, gorging ourselves to the point of sickness on sweets, carbohydrates, junk food.

Then we suffer guilt. We've been bad, blown our diet, been sinfully self indulgent. We resolve to curtail our food consumption even more, to make up for the splurged calories. We will eat as little as possible until our sin is expunged. We will not be tempted by food, because, after all, food is the enemy.

Isn't it?

No.

But all wasn't well. No matter what he did, the Internet Service Provider and the computer couldn't work out a "set of protocols". He installed, uninstalled, set, reset, turned the computer on and off, analyzed, searched, reinstalled, uninstalled, wept, tore hair, and made himself late for work. Still, no connection. He finally had to give up and go.

After a while, I decided to take a look. Now, I'm no computer wizard, I'm completely "software driven". If it doesn't tell me to do it, I'm pretty well at sea with installing and uninstalling, etc. So I decided to take a look at the Internet Connection Wizard. Figured it sure couldn't hurt.

(As an aside, this is not a "stupid husband"/"smart wife" story. I don't think that way, and neither does my husband. I do not ascribe to some of the recent theories that women are more mature, calmer, superior, etc., than men. It's bunk, okay? This is simply an illustration of getting back to basics.)

Well, the li'l Wizard was asking me some questions when something hit me -- the computer software was conveniently "helping" by placing my husband's Windows log-on name in the space where his Internet Service Provider log-on name should go.

Except they aren't the same name!

Oh.

I changed the name to the Internet Service Provider log-on name, continued with the li'l Wizard, and bingo, we were back online!

How does a computer glitch story relate to food? Look at the basics, and then how they can be made complicated:

We are energy burning organisms. Every physical function that we carry out, from our heart beating to walking a tightrope, uses energy. We have no way to create our own energy, so we must "fuel" our bodies with a substance that can be used as energy, once broken down.

This substance, of course, is food. That is food in its most basic, simplistic form -- nothing more than "body fuel". But in being so basic, and so vital to life -- the actual staff of life itself, because no human being can survive without it -- food is immediately invested with emotional import. And when anything becomes an emotional issue, it is fertile ground for a complex variety of problems to grow.

How does something as basic as food become such a complicated emotional issue? When you can't get it! When food is scarce, for any reason, it becomes much more than an everyday basic. Historically we know that during times of famine, food can become a treasure, a resource, a currency -- and a weapon. "Wars of famine", such as the tragedies of Ukraine in the 20s, Biafra in the 60s and Ethiopia in the 80s, demonstrate how effectively the denial of food to an entire population can turn the tides of history itself.

But what about self-induced "famine" -- dieting? Or in the case of a child, parent or doctor-induced "famine? What does this do to our feelings about food and its place in our lives?

When something as basic as food is denied us, it instantly takes on all the glamorous qualities of "forbidden fruit". It seems to be part of human nature to desire what we are forbidden to have.

Anyone who has observed children for any length of time can testify to the "forbidden fruit" urge. Just watch a child who is told "don't touch that!" He might not have even considered touching it before -- or if he had touched it, wouldn't have done any harm. But now that the idea that he's not supposed to touch it has been broached-- well, it's driving him nuts. His fingers are tingling, twitching, he is tempted beyond all bounds. He's going to touch that forbidden object or else -- and he's so emotionally wound up by now that he's most likely going to overdo it, and cause damage -- or if he's of another nature, he'll "sneak" and do it.

Once I saw a little boy who had been told "don't put your hands on anything in this store" one time too many. While shopping in a mall one day, I heard a child chanting in the distance, as four year olds are wont to do. The chanting was coming closer, and soon sorted itself into words, just before a little boy appeared, whirling, jigging and leaping along, touching every object he laid his eyes on -- then he would continue his manic dance, all the while bellowing rhythmically, "I'm gonna put my hands on SOMETHING! I'm gonna put my hands on SOMETHING!"

Complete "forbidden fruit" breakdown -- and funny to see in a four year old. Not so funny when you are the one who is having "forbidden fruit" breakdown as a result of years of "don't eat that, you'll get fat", "you can't go off your diet", "that's too fattening", "you don't want to eat that". You know what I mean -- that moment when you've just finished an entire package of Oreos by yourself, or have eaten an entire half gallon of ice cream, or polished off four candy bars, one after another. The temptation was too much, and you put your hands on SOMETHING all right.

Then the guilt sets in. The harsh words to yourself. You're undisciplined, a pig, a mess, you have no willpower, you're a glutton, you should be ashamed of yourself, no wonder you're fat. You're unworthy. You'll never amount to anything. You deserve to be fat.

Then, you may eat more, because after all, you're a lost cause anyway. Or you may take up new resolve to limit your food intake, to expunge this binge. You'll reduce your food intake -- until the next time "forbidden fruit" just hangs too heavily and temptingly in your way.

Is this vicious cycle all too familiar to you? Do you have a love-hate relationship with the food you eat? Does food sometimes acquire totemic qualities -- you just "have" to have that?

Guess what?

I'm NOT going to tell you to restrict your eating. I'm not going to tell you to "eat healthy". I'm not going to tell you to restrict your fats or calories or to eat only blue foods, or any of the other things you may have read or heard.

I'm just gonna talk about food -- its diversity, its uses, the vital role it plays in our lives. Why we should love it. Why we need it.

Without it, we are lost -- without food, a human being does not live very long. Hell's bells, it's the very staff of life itself!

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