“An Ethiopian child would love that”

If, like I (just) do, you remember Live Aid and Band Aid in the 80s…………

Then you probably have that image of the starving Ethiopian kids stored somewhere in your memory bank.

I’m sure they weren’t all Ethiopian, but it seemed that way at the time.

And if you are somewhere between the ages of 30 and 45 your mum probably used to say “An Ethiopian child would love that” if you dared to try and leave some of your food.

I know mine did.

Didn’t you mum? 😉

Or some variation on that.

Encouraging us to finish what’s on our plate by pointing out that there’s other not so luck to have too much food.

And I get the thought process.

Especially as our parents were bought up in the shadow of WWII, rationing, etc.

Or earlier maybe.

A time when food was less plentiful.

And eating everything you could was kinda essential.

But even then I remember thinking “I’m sure that Ethiopian kid wouldn’t feel happier knowing I was eating more food than I needed.”

Worse if anything.

It’s often ingrained in us from a young age to eat everything that’s available.

But now food is so readily available, that mindset doesn’t always help.

Often hinders.

Once we’ve had enough, that extra food is either going one of three places;

1 In the bin

2 On our hips, waist, etc

3 In the fridge for another time

Number three obviously makes the most sense.

But, when we think about it, number one is better than number two, isn’t it?

Even better would be to judge portion sizes better in the first place.

But, once that’s happened, 1 or 3 > 2.

And we get that’s not always possible.

You may be served a meal of a certain size (eating out, work, family or friends, etc).

And we often finish it to get our monies worth or not appear rude.

But is getting your money’s worth worth it if it contributes to something that makes you unhappy?

And if it has to happen, we can average out elsewhere.

I’m not advising wasting food.

My Granny would clip me round the ear if she heard me say that.

But, just remember, that Ethiopian kid won’t feel better that we’re over eating.

And neither will we.

Much love,

Jon ‘Ethiopia is actually the third fastest growing country in the world now’ Hall and Matt ‘Average income has tripled in 20 years. Good job Bob’ Nicholson

P.S. Still a full four weeks till the find out more meeting (five week month, innit), but why keep passing this link when it could change your (or a friend’s) life? –> myrise.co.uk/briefing-meeting