Waste or Waist?

One issue I hear repeatedly is "I hate to waste food." My answer to that, is it better to waste some food in a garbage can or put it directly on your own "waist?"

I grew up with parents from the depression era so I know about waste. Back then it was about all the starving people in China. I don't deny there are starving people all over the world but the logic defied me. Were my parents going to send leftover food to those people in China? Wouldn't it spoil? The point of course, is that we needed to eat the food ourselves even if we were full. So I finished my plate and many years later I still agonize about throwing food away.

So what do you do if you are still hung up on the waste issue? There are many solutions. Cook only what you need. Put smaller portions on your plate. Freeze the leftovers. If they are empty calorie foods (cakes, cookies, sweets, etc.) what's the real waste? Do these foods contribute to health in any way or just to your weight issue?  Lastly isn’t it a waste of life to die younger due to heart disease, diabetes, or some kind of cancer? Isn’t it a waste to destroy the quality of your life (both emotionally and physically)?