Overeating: Why and How To Stop

What if you were told that
certain foods cause you
to overeat... that there
is an actual reaction in your brain
that forces your mind to want more
food, even when you’re full? Well,
this is the theory David A. Kessler
– doctor, medical school dean, author,
lawyer and former commissioner of
the Food and Drug Administration –
explores in his latest book “The
End of Overeating.”

Kessler’s theory stresses that palatable foods –
those high in fat, salt and sugar – help create
overeating. He claims that the recipe of
ingredients in these desirable foods triggers
the brain to release dopamine, a chemical
associated with the pleasure center that helps
regulate emotion and movement. With time,
the brain becomes wired so that dopamine
is released when certain foods are merely
suggested. And, if those foods are eaten, opioids,
other chemicals which bring emotional relief,
are released. The combination of dopamine and
opioids can trigger the brain to want more of a
particular food, even when you’re not hungry.
In other words, it can prompt overeating.
Well-known for his investigation of the
tobacco industry in the 1990s, when he tried
to place cigarettes under federal regulation,
Kessler draws a parallel between tobacco
and food industries. He believes certain food
industries are manipulating consumer behavior,
offering food products that have harmful health
consequences. After all, preservative-fi lled,
high-fat, salty or sugary treats shouldn’t be
part of a healthy diet, but people easily succumb
to their cravings.

Mind versus body,
struggling with weight

According to studies reported in Behavioral
Neuroscience, the relationship between what
the mind wants to eat, and how the body reacts,
helps explain the struggles dieters have with
repetitive weight gain. If you tend to binge on
food, one unhealthy snack can trigger a binge.
Often dieters deprive themselves of delicious
foods to the point where one bite of goodness
creates a downward spiral of unhealthy eating.
Some parts of the food marketing industry
seem to count on this theory. Consider a famous
potato chip company’s tagline: “Once you pop,
you can’t stop.”

If a commercial can entice someone to buy the
product, chances are, that same product will be
craved in the future. Billboards, commercials,
magazine advertisements – no matter the source,
we easily fall prey to messages about delectable
dishes, despite their unhealthy contents.

Make a change

So what can we do to prevent overeating? The
key is to understand that our brain is being
stimulated by certain foods, and we can benefit
from changing our environment. Psychology
Professor Michael R. Lowe, Ph.D., of Drexel
University believes that managing your
“personal food environment” is a very effective
way to maintain your weight. Lowe states, “You
need to limit your exposure to high-calorie foods
in your immediate environment by, for instance,
choosing healthier restaurants and stocking your
home with quality ingredients and foods.”
While fast-food chains and pre-packaged,
preservative-fi lled food items may promise
an easy and cheap solution to our cravings,
learning to redirect our mind can help. The
following is a list of steps you can take to
help prevent cravings:

• Learn to tune out commercials for
your favorite treats. Chances are the
food advertised is something you can
live without!
• Redirect your focus from food to
something else entirely. Your mind
won’t be so occupied with food if
you let it think about something else.
• Create activity. If you go for a walk or
do jumping jacks every time the idea of
a yummy treat pops into your head, you
might find that your brain will begin to
respond differently to food cravings.

Remember, you can maintain your weight and
your health by controlling your personal food
environment. And, if you DO choose to satisfy
your cravings every once in a while, be sure to
burn off the calories to prevent weight gain.

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