by Machelle Lee, co-owner of the highly successful and very popular The Invisible Gym
 Certain foods are powerful.
They cast a spell over the most well-meaning dieter, and cause logical people to overeat until their sides hurt.
They occupy your thoughts to the point of obsession as you try to ignore a plate of cookies.
And when it's all said and done, they accumulate on your body in the most obtrusive way as a result of dozens of unused calories.
Why does food hold such power? And, most importantly, how can you control your eating?
The End of Overeating
David A. Kessler, MD set out to answer these pressing questions in his instant bestseller, The End of Overeating. Despite being a pediatrician, a former FDA commissioner, and former dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Kessler struggles with his weight.
Observing the current obesity epedemic, he knew that he wasn't alone.
Dr. Kessler, with the insight of some of the brightest minds in medicine and science, discovered the following three reasons that most of us are compelled to overeat.
An Irresistable Combination Rewires Your Brain: Think of your favorite treat - most likely it can be broken down into the basic building blocks of sugar, fat and salt. This combination is known of as the "three points of the compass', a combination that has been shown to literally alter the biological circuitry of your brain.
Sugar, fat and salt give food a high hedonic value which gives you pleasure. This pleasure reinforces you to return to your favorite foods time and time again.
The Food Industry Targets You: Everywhere you go you'll see the clever work of the food industry, tempting you with highly palatable creations. Food has become a science, and your taste preferences the guiding light.
The food industry has one goal - to get you hooked. By constructing food items that are high in sugar, fat and salt they know that you will come back time and time again.
Conditioned Hypereating Becomes a Way of Life: Humans are conditioned to seek more reward. When readily available, hyper palatable food become our reward a pattern of hypereating quickly emerges. Dr. Kessler describes the cycle:
"Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt, and the cues that signal them, promote more of everything: more arousal...more thoughts of food...more urge to pursue food...more dopamine-stimulated approach behavior...more consumption...more opioid-driven reward...more overeating to feel better...more delay in feeling fulll...more loss of control...more preoccupation with food...more habit-driven behavior...and ultimately, more and more weight gain."
Read more about how to Break the Cycle>>>>> |
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Health and weight have become such large issues for so many of us. Listening to debates over health care, I began realizing that too many of us are not taking responsibility for our own health. Is that not what it ultimately comes down to, taking responsibility for ourselves. Is that not one of our primary goals for our children -guiding them to take responsibility for their own actions?! Are we practicing what we preach? I am guilty of not taking responsibility!
Since I could do with a lot more veggies, smaller portions of lean protein, etc. and more activity, I decided to be proactive and put my health/looks at the top of the list, even before my favorite activity -building this website for parents. In my "former" life, I have been getting up about 6 am, turning on the computer, grabbing a cup 'a and starting work.
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