What's the eating limit?

All of us eat to live. There is no exception. Then there are some who live to eat. We shall not count ourselves among the last group. Few of us are so fortunate, or unfortunate, depending on which perspective you are looking from.
If you live to eat, it could very well mean that anywhere and everywhere you go, there are lots of food for you to sample and taste. That means you will never ever die hungry. That won't be your lot in this life.
On the other hand, if you eat because it's your profession then it can turn out to be a very boring affair. These are the food critics. Most of the time, you won't enjoy yourself because you will be over-critical. Your exquisite taste buds are so used to the finer things in the cuisine world that nothing but the best will find your favour.
Food tasters or food critics can be a sad lot. They get paid for their comments. Restaureters dislike or live in fear of these people. Critics can make or break their business.
For the rest of us mortals, life takes on a simpler mode. We have our usual three square meals a day. Sometimes, there's supper but on most days there is nothing because all of us don't want to look like a pear to our friends and family members.
So what's your eating limit? If you are a non-athletic, anything above the three meals a day would be considered over the top. As you grow older, the same amount of food you take when you were 20 would be a bit too much if you are 40. That is, unless you are an exercise freak or physically active.
People in the developing and developed world normally eat too much. I am not basing this on statistics but on what I can gauge from regular TV footage. I don't think I am wrong in saying that Americans in general eat too much. Most of them are over-weight.
Residents in poorer countries do not have the luxury of eating when they want and anything they want. So you normally see slim to skinny people in the poorer sections of the world.
Frankly, how often do people eat? Breakfast, lunch and dinner is the normal run of things. We are not Hobbits. We do not eat every two hours. But normal people munch a lot. That means snacks in between meals, and it's usually the sweet stuff.
Now you know where all those "thunder thighs" and double-chins come from!
In modern times, doctors and dietitians are quick to say that we have to eat more vegetables because they chocolates, cakes and pizzas are in abundance. It's okay if you eat two pieces of pizza a day, twice a week. It's not okay if you eat three-quarters of a large pizza four times a week.
People overcompensate when they quit a diet programme. It will only lead to trouble for the heart, liver and stomach. The body is a living organism. It functions well if you don't overload the system. But people tend to overeat when they are depressed or when their boyfriends dump them or if their lives are generally boring.
If you are active in your profession or pursuing your hobby, then most of the time you don't have the time to overeat.
The best rule-of-thumb I have ever heard regarding eating is "leave the plate alone when you eaten enough but you could still eat some more".
Meanwhile, be thankful you can eat anything you want and as often as you want. It is a blessing as well as an indication that you are in good health. But don't push your luck.