Obesity is the scourge of the 21st century and the affliction of many office workers. Many believe that this is only a Western problem. But UN experts said: Russia is in nineteenth place in terms of the number of overweight citizens. Similar data are cited in the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences: more than 60% of women and about half of men in Russia over 30% have a problem of being overweight.
The global trend in this matter is very deplorable. According to experts, the number of people with extra pounds in 5 years will be more than a billion. And one of the reasons for this is overeating.
What is overeating?
Now three meals a day is considered the norm, but does this mean that a person will transmit if there is a little more, for example, 4-5 times a day? It is important to remember that our behavior and relationship with food is determined by two hormones:
- Ghrelin. It is he who is "responsible" for the appetite. And it is “thanks” to him that extra pounds can appear. When we are hungry, it begins to flow first into the bloodstream, then into the parts of the brain responsible for our eating behavior.
- Letin. It is produced during meals to suppress appetite.
From a physiological point of view, signal transmission leads to a feeling of fullness. But often people do not notice it and ignore it, which leads to overeating. What are the true reasons for this? Let's consider.
Dopamine
Food intake is linked to the hormone dopamine. It is produced in the brain, adrenal glands, and other tissues. Scientists believe that dopamine is a chemical factor in our brain's reward system. Professor Kelly McGonigal of Stanford University is convinced that this hormone is responsible for the anticipation of pleasure.
That is, the sight of delicious food and the aroma of food provoke its surge. But the problem is that we live in a world where food is found at every turn.
And each burst of this hormone is a step towards overeating, not gratifying our instincts. It is dopamine that makes us think, "I want this cake," even when we are not hungry.
Sugar, food additives
They provoke appetite and block signals of satiety. This is why food manufacturers use the “Salt, Sugar and Fat — Delicious Food” formula so persistently based on physiological processes.
Servings and Calories
It is important to understand that the signal of satiety arrives in our brain about 20 minutes after eating food. And we usually rely on our eyes and eat while there is food on the plate.
Several years ago, scientists at Karolinska University conducted a study: the subjects were offered soup, but the plate was unusual - pipes were held to it, constantly filling the plate with new portion.
As a result, people always ate on average 50% more soup than usual.
Another study was conducted at the University of Michigan: two bowls of cookies were placed in the break room, and one of them was written "Large", the second - "Medium." As a result, they found that people who ate sweets from the second plate ate about 20 g more than those who took large cookies. At the same time, they believed that they ate several times less.
Keep in mind that serving size is also related to calories. For example, vegetables are considered healthy food today, so many believe that a standard serving to satisfy hunger will not be enough. In restaurants, it is not uncommon to see girls on a diet ordering a double portion of salads.
However, low-calorie meals can also cause overeating.
TV set
Scientists have proven that by eating food while sitting in front of the TV, we will overeat. The problem is that if we are distracted by what is happening on the screen, we will not notice signals of satiety. The same can happen if you communicate with your interlocutor while eating. Psychologist Johnny Castro has proved that people who eat together, communicate with each other, eat almost 30% more than if they ate alone.
Sources:
Kelly McGonigal "Willpower"
University of Michigan Research
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