Do we have a snack problem?!

I love a good snack, from fruit and seeds to cake and chocolate. I try to limit my sugar intake by substituting the ‘unhealthy’ kind with natural sugar found in fruit but there is nothing quite like a mint Aero or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

A recent study, in which 2,000 women were polled, revealed that one in three women admit to snacking in secret.

If you’re doing ‘healthy snacking’ you wouldn’t need to hide it, right!?

Of those with a ‘snack problem’, two thirds keep their snacks a secret from their partners and almost half admitted they were embarrassed about how often they snack on something. Another 19 per cent simply don’t want people to think they are unhealthy in their food choices and 55 per cent hate people thinking they eat too much.

Let’s assume that the research conducted is a representation of an entire population of people. The following snack problem’s were highlighted; Some of us hide food under our beds (one in ten) and others ferret food away (31 per cent) to stop roommates or family members from finding it before we’ve tucked in.

A further 46 per cent of us have eaten the nice treats we’ve bought before we’ve even got home from the supermarket – to make sure no-one else gets there first. And a sneaky 21 per cent of us have made a secret trip to the shop to stock up on tasty snacks without our partners knowing.

It is a little embarrassing.

Here’s the thing: be loud and proud. It forces us to acknowledge our snack problem and thus to be accountable for our health. We should learn to listen to our consciences.

A chocolate every now and again is never a bad thing. It’s all about balance, remember!