Why do we overeat: 5 common causes

The disease is a well-fed world, the scourge of the XXI century, disease of office workers - all this is about obesity. We used to think that this is a problem of the West. But according to the UN, Russia ranks 19th in the world in the number of full citizens. According to the Academy of Medical Sciences, 60% of women and 50% of men over 30 years in this country are overweight, and 30% of the population is obese.

In this case, the global trends are unfavorable: Experts predict the number of overweight individuals in the world by 2025 will reach a billion. One of the reasons for being overweight - Overeating. Try to figure out what it is and why we eat so much.

What is binge

Now the norm is three meals a day (about 2500 calories a day for men and 2000 kcal for women). But does this mean that people overeat when eating 4-5 times a day?

Eating behavior is determined by two mutually complementary hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin - a peptide hormone that stimulates appetite and increases food intake and fat mass.

When the stomach is empty, ghrelin starts to be produced and enter the blood. These signals are in hypothalamusResponsible for human behavior in food matters, which are activated cells in the arcuate nucleus. As a result, it stimulates the appetite, a feeling of hunger.

As the filling of the stomach produces the hormone leptin, adipose tissue. It is a peptide hormone that regulates energy metabolism, which suppresses appetite. Leptin interacts with the nerve endings of the stomach wall and receptors hypothalamus, thereby feeding the signal to the brain satiety.

Clearly this process is shown in this video.

From a physiological point of view overeating - it's a pass satiety signal. But why do we ignore it? What are the causes of overeating?

The reasons for overeating

dopamine

The process of food intake associated with the generation of dopamine. It is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain, as well as the hormone produced by the adrenal medulla and other tissues.

It is believed that dopamine is the chemical factor in the brain reward system. In this case, a Stanford University professor, an expert in the study of the relationship between mental and physical health man Kelly McGonigal (Kelly McGonigal) is convinced that dopamine is responsible not for the pleasure as such, but only for his anticipation.

Ample evidence that shows in her book "Strength of will. How to develop and strengthen».

Nature took care that we are not starved. Evolution spit on luck, but it promises to him that we were fighting for life. Therefore, the expectation of happiness, rather than direct experience of his brain uses that we continue to hunt, gather, work and woo.

Kelly McGonigal

Appearance and aroma of delicious food provokes a surge of dopamine. This is normal. The problem is that we live in a world where food is readily available. Each splash - step to overeating, rather than mere satisfaction of instinct. Tempting food everywhere: on the most prominent shelves in shops, street stalls, advertising billboards. Dopamine makes us think: "I want this Eclair!" Even when we are not hungry.

But the worst thing that dopaminergic neurons eventually get used to the familiar awards, even those that are very popular.

Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin establishedThat the degree of pleasure derived from eating correlates with the level of dopamine. When a person no longer feels the same satisfaction from their favorite dishes that before, it seems that just need to eat more.

Sugar and other flavor enhancers

Since dopamine is closely associated trap is another cause of excessive absorption of food - its taste.

David Kessler (David Kessler), Doctor of Medical Sciences and former head of the Federal Agency for Quality Control food and drugs in the United States for many years explored why the more sweet, salty or fatty eat, the more I want to. The results of his scientific research he presented in his book "The End of gluttony."

Although Kessler's theory of global conspiracy is very controversial, but the fact that global food system actively uses the formula of "oil + salt + sugar = not simply delicious, and supervkusnaya food" - indisputable fact.

Man overeat, not only due to the fact that the delicious and impossible to put down, but also because the sugar and other food additives are blocking the signal of satiety. For example, scientists at Yale University foundThat fructose inhibits parts of the brain responsible for appetite.

We miss the signal saturation, and we think that we are still hungry.

Robert Sherwin (Robert Sherwin), endocrinologist

Similar opinion is shared by Robert Lustig (Robert Lustig), who observed that fructose increases leptin resistance of the organism. It prevents them from getting to the brain and causes a feeling of hunger.

Servings and calories

Signal saturation to the brain immediately. A person relying on your vision and prudence, eat as long as it will devastate the plate.

Head of the Laboratory of Food and brands at Cornell University professor Brian Wansink (Brian Wansink) explores many years eating behavior of people. To this end, he spent a lot of amusing experiments.

In one of the test subjects were seated at the table and offered to taste the tomato soup. Catch is that to the bottom of plates was summed tube that seamlessly added to their soup. As a result, the subjects ate an average of 73% more soup than in normal conditions. Wansink explained by the fact that for many people the word "ate" and "empty plate" - synonyms.

Another experiment proving that large portions lead to overeating, was held the University of Michigan. Researchers placed in the lounge two bowls with cookies (80 g each), but one wrote "average", and on the other - "large". It turned out that if a person chooses pastry bowls from the first, then ate an average of 12 grams more than those who ate from plates with "large" cookies. In this case, the first truly believed that ate less.

volume servings It is also associated with high-calorie food. For example, vegetables are associated with a healthy meal, so many tend to think that a standard serving is not enough to satisfy your hunger. Have you noticed that the girl sitting on a diet, often order a double portion of salad? Low-calorie dish creates a false sense of security and leads to overeating.

TV

In the BBC documentary film "How should I feed my children" (from the series "The whole truth about food") Was held a demonstration experiment, proving that television viewing for a person eats more than eating in silence.

13-year-old Rosie and her mom are overweight, despite the fact that the girl is constantly involved in sports, and the woman all day at work. Dinner in the family goes in the living room watching TV.

The experiment took place in two stages. First for Rosie baked pizza and regaled her favorite TV show at the time. The girl ate 13 pieces. The next time Rosie was seated at the table, the menu was pizza again. The girl ate 10 pieces, with its lunch lasted only 11 minutes.

What is happening on the TV distracts us, so we miss the very signal of satiety. We can continue to eat the clock until passionate transmission.

No less distraction is communication. according to Overweight and Obese Humans Overeat Away from Home. psychology professor John de Castro (John de Castro), the conversation a person ceases to control the amount of food eaten. When you eat with someone together, then you eat 35% more than in solitude.

Family and environment

Among anthropogenic factors overeating - education and cultural and community traditions.

"So far, so do not eat, walk do not go", - said the mother of the child. Of course, she did not even think that in this way teaches him to overeating. Parents form the eating behavior of children. A man brought up in the spirit of "who will eat porridge is not, he will not grow," inclined to eat the entire portion, even when the body is said about saturation.

In addition, according to Family environmental factors influencing the developing behavioral controls of food intake and childhood overweight. researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, in families where the parents are overweight, this problem often manifests itself in children. And it's not genetics. Adult nutritional environment is formed in which the growing child (cook, superposed portions), and also provided an example of feeding behavior. If children see every day uncontrolled excessive consumption, it is considered the norm.

Finally it should be noted cultural and community traditions of the society. So, Brian Wansink notes that Americans are used to fill the stomach to capacity, but in Japan it is considered that it is better to go away from the table, when the stomach is filled with only 80%.

Also, if a man ever in the life of starving, for example, during the war, he would think about it every time sits at the table. The fear that shortages of food could be repeated, does not allow to leave food on the plate.

See also:

• Simple tips on how to stop abusing food and alcohol →
• How many times a day you need to have →
• How to stop overeating and do business →