> ...I don't think about food as anything but fuel. I no longer think of it as a way to be social, to pass the time, or to be happy...
The problem for me is that what you're describing is not a higher quality of life at all. On the contrary, it sounds very impoverished.
I recently went to a county fair. While I tried to be mindful of what I was eating, I didn't deprive myself of the treats a fair has to offer. This is not about self-flagellation but about better self-awareness and in the end, hopefully about better health.
The rest of the world may not have the same kind of selection of different foods as we do, but my understanding is that most cultures still treat meals as social occasions to be enjoyed.