Danger, danger!  Don’t breathe it in, it’s bad.  The good air is too expensive.  Shame on you for breathing the bad air.  You tried to hold your breath, and when you couldn’t any longer the emotional center of your brain took over and you started gasping for air. You tell yourself that you’ll do better tomorrow.  If you can just inhale a little bit at a time of only the good air perhaps you can prevent the bad air binge. 

As ridiculous as this sounds, it’s exactly what we’re doing with food, and exactly how the body responds to this deprivation of what is essential for our survival.