What Does ‘Kummerspeck’ Have to Do With My Mother’s Death?
The Germans call it grief bacon
In the company of friends, more well-intentioned bereavement food came my way. I love eating, and soon enough, I noticed I am gaining weight, and before I knew it, I am 20 pounds heavier since my Mom died.
I was eating my grief away. My grief has turned into a “kummerspeck.”
Comfort eating is a staple of the human experience. The Germans (of course) have the perfect word to describe the excess fat you gain from emotional overeating: Kummerspeck.
Kummerspeck is a compound noun composed of Kummer (grief) and Speck (bacon, or lard), which translates literally as ‘grief bacon’ or does it?
Why some people gain weight while grieving? — Mel Magazine
After reading this article, it appears I am not alone. While some would experience loss of appetite as they grieve, some, like me, have found comfort in food.
Jonathan Van Ness (JVN) from Queer Eye had this to say, as he experienced his own kummerspeck.
After my stepdad passed away, I gained 70 pounds in 3 months. I didn’t like how I felt or looked, it’s so important for me to look back and tell that man from 5…
