| Narrative inquiry was utilized to explore how Christian women make meaning of their problematic relationship with food. Five participants ranging in ages 42-50 engaged in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. These case studies were analyzed utilizing a five-stage process of discourse analysis including, winnowing voluminous data, utilizing multiplicity of the dialogical self, and embracing emotions as an analytic tool. Three measurements were also utilized in analysis: The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, Remuda Ranch Spiritual Inventory, and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Life-long problematic relationships with food revealed three significant findings. First, struggles with dualistic images of God, judgmental or merciful resulted in conflict when imploring God for help with disordered eating (DE), complicated by food being considered the lesser of sins. Participants turned to food to regulate feelings of shame and guilt associated with their DE, shame having a cause-and-effect response to DE. Second, carbohydrate-rich foods and sweets were used to self-medicate negative affect. Food in general was utilized as a reward and consumed compulsively to suppress anger. Third, food and love were conflated in early childhood via attachment to caregiver, associated with the desire for familial belonging. Participants with a strong and loving connection to their caregiver sought food to recreate the content feeling, while those who did not, used food to fill that void. However, both types were insatiable, resulting in a conditioned response of equating food, love, God, and sense of self. The findings of this research offer new insights into how the Christian women in this research study developed a problematic relationship with food. Reconciling childhood attachment and healing wounded God images could reduce problematic relationships with food and improve spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Clinicians, physicians, nutritionists, clergy, and Christian women may find this research helpful. |
