What's for Supper? The Experience of Eating for Women at Midlife

Abstract

The midlife time period is not well defined and is not well understood for women, particularly in reference to eating. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to explore the experience of midlife for women and the meaning they give to eating. Low structured research conversations with seven Canadian, Caucasian women were analysed using van Manen's approach. The main themes that were identified were Not Me, You Lose, It's a Negotiation, and It's a Good Place. Findings of this study suggest that midlife women undergo intense and ongoing physical, emotional, and social transformations during a period in which demands on their time and energy are still high. In order to manage everyday demands, these women prioritize and make conscious choices and compromises in reference to eating that influence how their bodies feel on a daily basis.