It is no secret that obesity rates in the United States (and other industrialized countries) have been on the rise for the past 30 year. It is also not a secret that Americans consume more calories than they used to, almost 425 calories per person daily since the 1980s.
This was blamed by government officials, researchers scientists, and fitness professionals for decades. They believed it was due to lack of willpower, or people's inability "push away" from the table. Television doctors, nutritionists, and diet book authors all tell us that gluten is responsible for our weight gain. Fats. Fructose. Or whatever your nemesis is.
All this finger-wagging doesn't really explain why.
Why do we eat so much food?
Why is it so difficult to stop?
Our brains have the answer.
Your brain will tell you what to eat.Have you ever opened a bag of chips thinking that you would have a snack? Only to discover that the bag is empty just a few minutes later?
Your brain is the problem.
Our rational, conscious brain believes it is in control. "I eat whatever I want, whenever I want it." I can stop whenever I want." We have much less control than that. There are physiological forces that drive our decisions, but we don't even know about them.
Deeper brain physiology is responsible for what, when, and how much we eat, along with its copilots' hormones, fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose. Our conscious selves are largely just along for the ride.
This article will explore:
Ghrelin, also known as the "hunger hormone", is what stimulates our appetite. It is highest just before meals and lowest during and immediately following eating.
Ghrelin is not all that determines hunger and the decision to eat. Research has shown that mice without Ghrelin eat just as often as mice with it.
Even though we know that nutrients are important in biology, we don't understand why humans feel hungry or decide to eat. Many factors influence hunger and appetite.
However, we do know a lot about why we stop eating.
What makes us stop eating?What makes it possible to stop eating once we have started?
This can be partly explained by satiation, the feeling of fullness that you feel after eating.
Although satiation and satisfaction are sometimes interchangeable, they are not the same thing. Satiety refers to your perception of satisfaction or decreased interest in food, while satiation is your perception that you are full during a meal.
Two physiological factors are responsible for telling us to stop eating after we finish a meal: gastric distension, and hormonal satisfaction.
This was blamed by government officials, researchers scientists, and fitness professionals for decades. They believed it was due to lack of willpower, or people's inability "push away" from the table. Television doctors, nutritionists, and diet book authors all tell us that gluten is responsible for our weight gain. Fats. Fructose. Or whatever your nemesis is.
All this finger-wagging doesn't really explain why.
Why do we eat so much food?
Why is it so difficult to stop?
Our brains have the answer.
Your brain will tell you what to eat.Have you ever opened a bag of chips thinking that you would have a snack? Only to discover that the bag is empty just a few minutes later?
Your brain is the problem.
Our rational, conscious brain believes it is in control. "I eat whatever I want, whenever I want it." I can stop whenever I want." We have much less control than that. There are physiological forces that drive our decisions, but we don't even know about them.
Deeper brain physiology is responsible for what, when, and how much we eat, along with its copilots' hormones, fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose. Our conscious selves are largely just along for the ride.
This article will explore:
- How our brains influence so many of our food choices
- These physiological forces can cause weight gain
- What we can do to get the power back
- Homeostatic food: We eat to get energy and keep our bodies in balance (aka homeostasis).
- Hedonic eating
We eat to enjoy (aka hedonism) or to manage our emotions.
Ghrelin, also known as the "hunger hormone", is what stimulates our appetite. It is highest just before meals and lowest during and immediately following eating.
Ghrelin is not all that determines hunger and the decision to eat. Research has shown that mice without Ghrelin eat just as often as mice with it.
Even though we know that nutrients are important in biology, we don't understand why humans feel hungry or decide to eat. Many factors influence hunger and appetite.
- our genes
- social cues
- Learned behavior
- environmental factors
- circadian rhythm
- our hormones
However, we do know a lot about why we stop eating.
What makes us stop eating?What makes it possible to stop eating once we have started?
This can be partly explained by satiation, the feeling of fullness that you feel after eating.
Although satiation and satisfaction are sometimes interchangeable, they are not the same thing. Satiety refers to your perception of satisfaction or decreased interest in food, while satiation is your perception that you are full during a meal.
Two physiological factors are responsible for telling us to stop eating after we finish a meal: gastric distension, and hormonal satisfaction.