Most of us know Else Kåss Furuseth. She is a lady who offers herself, the comments are loose and the smile is never far away. She feels fearless – talks openly about suicide and loss. But there is one part of life the celebrity has not shared as much. Something she, and many with her, sometimes find difficult to talk about; Food – or rather, not having control over how much you eat. – Food has become a comfort. Food is perhaps the answer to all problems, big and small. For me, the comfort of the evenings has become the dark hours. A somewhat secret part of life. I’ve been eating the way I look, because I’m often bored in the evening. And now the comedian has received a message from the doctor: She must make a change, otherwise she must sleep with a breathing mask. Else says that for her, food is a way to relax. She doesn’t have to be sad or bored to overeat. Photo: Private – Trying very hard to be happy Else Kåss Furuseth has lived alone for 20 years. She thinks it is part of the reason why she keeps getting bigger. – I don’t have anyone else’s eyes on me. And then I give a damn. But she doesn’t really do that. It’s just hard to change a pattern. Now she has decided to make an honest attempt to lose weight. And she will do this in the brand new TV program “Helsekost Furuseth”, which premieres on news TV on 20 April. – I notice that I get a little disappointed when, as a 42-year-old woman, I sit and say that I am dissatisfied with my own body. It’s kind of expected. It annoys me, so I try very hard to be happy. But I know I will get better if I manage to have a little more control. Not like falling asleep on a bed of crisps. We joined Else on a fairly ordinary day in her life. And we counted calories. Else Kåss Furuseth gives us an honest and unvarnished insight into how much she eats during a normal day. This is overeating Else struggles with overeating. And that is not very unusual. Many of us do, but to varying degrees. Because overeating is defined as eating more than you need, and that is quite normal. It’s not dangerous either, explains Jøran Hjelmesæth. He is an expert on obesity. Hjelmesæth says overeating can be divided into three categories: Overeating is eating more than you need to maintain your weight. It is not a disorder, but quite common. Everyone does it from time to time, and the body tolerates it well without a significant change in weight. Then you eat more than your body needs over a certain period. Overeating defined from a more health-related understanding: Then you look for the cause of the overeating. It is often linked to emotions, especially suppressing bad feelings. But we also eat more if we are happy – examples of this are at Christmas, on birthdays etc. This is connected to point one. Finally comes what is defined as a disease – binge eating disorder. You can have this disorder even if you are not overweight or obese. It is characterized by a loss of control, that eating makes you feel ashamed and that you eat large amounts in a relatively short time over a long period. Do you tend to overeat? No. Very rarely or never. It happens. Maybe once a month. Yes. At least two to three times a week. Show result Approximately 3 percent of the Norwegian population suffers from binge eating disorder. And that makes this disease the most common eating disorder in Norway. As many as 20–30% of people with a BMI over 27, and 40% of people with obesity may fit criteria for binge eating disorder. Section chief doctor Jøran Hjelmesæth works in the hormone, obesity and nutrition department at the Hospital in Vestfold. He is also a professor at the department of endocrinology, morbid obesity and preventive medicine at UiO. Photo: John-Andre Samuelsen / news Why do we lose control in the evening? Perhaps you are one of those who recognize yourself in what Else tells. When the evening comes, it is very difficult to be “self-disciplined”. The goodies in the bottom kitchen drawer practically scream for you. And you give in. Just a small bowl of crisps on the sofa before bed… – There is something special about the evening and the night and emotional eating. There could be several reasons for that. It could be that you haven’t had time to eat properly during a stressful working day, or that bad thoughts and feelings come more easily when you’re not busy with work, children or other daily pursuits, says Jøran Helmet Cameras were hung up inside Else’s apartment as part of the new TV series. She didn’t want the opportunity to cheat herself out of eating. Here, the cameras capture her going on a real donut spree. Photo: Teddy TV A lot of stress, poor night’s sleep, anxiety and depression are, however, perhaps the most important partial explanations for emotional eating. And all these conditions are frequent in women with obesity, he explains. – However, there is no evidence that a lack of self-discipline is the cause of the problem. Hjelmesæth has good advice that can make it easier to eat smaller amounts of food in the evening: Plan Eat regularly and sufficiently during the day, and preferably plan a suitably large evening meal with healthy, good and filling food.AvailabilityReduce the availability of calorie-dense food in the home. Have alternative good, healthy and less calorie-dense options readily available. ActivityBe regularly physically active – preferably in the afternoon, but preferably not too late in the evening. It provides better appetite regulation, better sleep and better mood.SleepFirst and foremost, it is very important to ensure the best possible night’s sleep.Seek helpSeek help from your GP or other health personnel if you struggle with anxiety, depression or overeating problems. Dangerous diseases As a start to Else’s health project in the new TV series, she visits the doctor. Here it is confirmed that the comedian has a BMI (body mass index) of 37.5. That is, the second highest degree of obesity. In the age group 40–45, approximately 5 percent of all men and 7 percent of all women have this degree of obesity in Norway. Then you are at risk of developing a number of diseases as a result of your weight: It can be type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, breathing stops at night, stroke and high blood pressure. – This is information that all great people are of course aware of, but you know less about why things have turned out the way they have. This is not just about diet and exercise, but more about getting help to deal with challenges, says Kåss Furuseth. She goes on to say that people are often met with advice to accept the body as it is, or the complete opposite – advice to pull yourself together. Now she hopes the new TV series can contribute to making it safe to talk about the subject. – The most important thing is to remove shame, and show that we are stronger together. And maybe the body ultimately becomes less important? If you are wondering whether you have an overeating disorder, you should talk to your GP, and feel free to check the available information here.
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Struggling with overeating – news Trøndelag
