Scientists have recently discovered that there are many effects that food has on the brain. Neurons are brain cells. They are connected to circuits and communicate with one another to create feelings, store information, and control behavior. Neurons respond to rewarding food by shooting electrical signals and releasing brain chemicals that then travel to interconnected neurons (Kessler, 2009, p. 35 ). Neurons can be “encoded” for palatability, meaning that they show preference by firing more. For example, a neuron may be “encoded” to the taste, smell or texture of a certain food. The increasing effect of this liking towards a specific food, will cause sensory stimuli to amp up the neurons and fire them to move (Kessler, 2009, p.35). …show more content…
“Orosensory self-stimulation” plays a great role in overeating and obesity. It is a cyclic process in which eating delectable foods conveys the message to the brain that makes us want more of those foods. The thing that drives eating and makes food enticing is the Orosensory effect (Kessler, 2009, p.37 ). The opioid circuitry is best described as the primary pleasure system in the body. Opioids, also known as endorphins, are chemicals produced in the brain that have rewarding effects on the body. Opioids control persistent pain and feelings of stress and frustration. This is similar to the effect of drugs, such as morphine and heroin (Kessler, 2009, p.37 ). Stimulating the opioids with food, causes great feelings. This effect drives us to eat more food. “Nucleus accumbens” is the area in the brain …show more content…
This phenomena is known as “conditioned stimulus”. Once this happens, the cue itself, rather than the desire for the food, generates the dopamine response. The cue becomes the trigger for the desire. It grips us, arousing us to act (Kessler, 2009, p.50). “Incentive salience” is the desire activated by cues, for something that predicts reward. It is a learned association; food that once gave us a rewarding feeling, now gets triggered by cues, and we desire it. It is the wanting of the food, rather than the liking of the food, that gets us to work towards pursuing it (Kessler, 2009, p.52). Food becomes a “hot stimulus”, lighting up the emotional centers of the brain that get us to think, feel, and respond to our desire. Memories of rewarding feelings “rewire” our brain to want that same rewarding feeling again, from the same food (Kessler, 2009, p.56). When a person is repeatedly exposed to stimuli and cues, the connection among the neural circuits change, and so do their response patterns. This is known as “functional connectivity” (Kessler, 2009, p. 60). Unfortunately, because people are overexposing themselves to stimuli and cues for food, their brains are being rewired and acting differently towards the foods that are being taken in. It confuses the systems in the brain, so peoples’ brains are not reacting properly anymore
23 July 2018. Print. The. Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times.
Portion control is psychologically proven to lessen or limit an individual’s intake of any food. According to Dr. Katherine Appleton (2014), any given amount of food over the recommended serving size will be finished by an individual because it is considered normal to finish a plate for a meal. If the amount of food were to be changed, the amount of intake would change as well. This psychology study is based off of an individual’s perception on what is considered “a normal serving size” (Appleton, 2014). Portion control requires self discipline, but if Pam were to regulate her serving sizes, she could greatly decrease her caloric
American health, specifically our obesity epidemic, has grown into a trending media topic. A quick Google search will bring up thousands of results containing a multitude of opinions and suggested solutions to our nation’s weight gain, authored by anyone ranging from expert food scientists to common, concerned citizens. Amongst the sea of public opinion on obesity, you can find two articles: Escape from the Western Diet by Michael Pollan and The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss. Each article presents a different view on where the blame lies in this public health crisis and what we should do to amend the issue. Pollan’s attempt to provide an explanation pales in comparison to Moss’s reasonable discussion and viable
In 1994, Zhang et al discovered the Ob gene and the hormone leptin1. This brought about the idea that obesity might have genetic-related factors and may not simply involve lack of self-control and overeating in the individual. The Ob gene regulates the amount of body fat storage in the body2. When the Ob gene signals, the hormone leptin is secreted from adipocytes1 and it travels to the hypothalamus in the brain2. This signals the hypothalamus to induce a feeling of satiety2. In other words, leptin secretion causes the stomach to feel full and ceases the necessity for eating. Once this discovery was made, the idea of obesity treatment came into play. If a hormone with satiety-inducing effects can be utilized for treatment then obesity may possibly become a null issue. Unfortunately this is an issue that still stands today – 20 years after the discovery of leptin.
Cooper, P. J. & Steere, J. (I 993). The Effects of Eating of Dietary Restraint, Anxiety, and Hunger. Intemational Journal of Eating Disorders, 13, 211-219.
Two arguments are being presented in this article, one is that meat is one of the factors which made our brain expand and the second one is that cooked food is the other factor. After thoroughly researching this topic I have come to the conclusion that
Goldstein, Hesh. Why There is an Obesity Epidemic. 16 Nov. 2009. 12 Nov. 2011 .
...brain and malnutrition. Therefore, one’s diet is not only crucial for the physical well being but also their mental.
Jane Collingwood. Obesity and Mental Health. 4 December 2013. Psych Central. 4 December 2013. http://psychcentral.com/lib/obesity-and-mental-health/000895
Eating has taken its toll on people who live in the United States. One of the largest problems that people have is deciding how much to eat and what is healthy to eat. It was determined in the 1930s-1940s that the brain has a tremendous impact in controlling our eating habits. The main part of the brain, which controls this, is the hypothalamus. Basically, the hypothalamus measures different levels through out the body, especially in the stomach, to determine if our body needs food, which causes the sensation of hunger.
Eating the pizza instead of the salad seemed like a good idea at the time, but now one is stuck in this sloth like state hours later. It seems letting cravings control what and how to eat is not the best strategy to healthy living. Mary Maxfield, in her article “Food For Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Food” discusses her views on how people should eat. She believes people crave what their bodies need, therefore, people should eat what they crave. Maxfield claims that diet, health, and weight are not correlated with each other, and because of this, people view obesity as unhealthy, thus forcing them to distinguish “right, healthy” foods from the “wrong, unhealthy” choices.
Fasting improves the brain health and its nervous system as a whole. In addition, it increases a protein known as BDNF (Brain derived Neurotrophic Factor). This type of protein is vital in preventing stressed neurons from being inactive or dying. A low level of BDNF is
3. Burning Calories from high-fat meals: how the body reacts. (1998) The New York Times.
Obesity and overweight remain the two major social problems in the United States. Apart from the fact that obesity and overweight are dangerous by themselves, they also cause a variety of negative health consequences. Our lives our overloaded with tasks and obligations, and we often choose to eat something fast. “Fast”, however, does not necessarily imply “useful”, and more and more people face the risks of becoming obese even at young age. Because obesity has already become a national i...
Food addiction can lead to serious and difficult health concerns. Nevertheless, obesity has other health issues that comes with it as well. In the United States between 2007 and 2009 there has been a 1.1% increase of obesity (Pedram). There has been an assumption that if it continues by 2050 it would be close to 100% of Americans who would be obese (Pedram). This information explains that the increase in overconsumption of food can slowly make most Americans suffer from obesity. Another issue of obesity is that it is “the fifth leading cause of global death” (Pedram). Becoming a food addict can cause an individual into becoming obese that they may eventually face death. Food addiction has become quite a controversial that it is difficult to overcome as fast food restaurants are encouragement in individuals to choose the path of obesity. Nevertheless, obesity is still a health issue that is harmful and dangerous to an