What are some of the worst eating habits that New Zealanders need to kick? Photo / Thinkstock
What are our worst eating habits? Bingeing on fast food, guzzling too much soft drink and adopting fad diets are among them. But health expert Dave Shaw shares some you may not have considered.
1. Binge drinking culture
One drink often turns into two, which turns into a bottle or a box. We've all done it before, either succeeding with a primal chant or failing with unexpected consequences. University life, weekend nights, celebrations and social acceptance are all encouraging. Fun, well yes, but dangerous also.
Why is it that the French can drink with sophisticated elegance - a glass of red wine with dinner or a bottle for a group to share - yet many New Zealanders' turn a drunken-eye to such common-sense drinking?
Kiwis need to stop the binge drinking culture. Photo / Thinkstock
2. Eating alone-together
A hundred years ago it would have been absurd to eat a completely different meal than the person dining next to you. Breakfast, lunch and dinner used to be dished from the same pot - a pleasurable experience shared by the whole family. But now, food preferences, diets and restrictive eating patterns prevent this shared eating. Although it may seem like we're eating together, in reality, we're all dining alone. Many of us have lost sight of the social connectedness sharing a meal can offer.
