The last class that we had we discussed needs and the different types of needs that humans have to have to survive. One type of need is physiological. Needs that fit under this category would be things such as food, water, safety, and shelter. Food, for example, is a need that everyone has and we need in order to have energy and to live. Without food we woul die after a few weeks. Although food is a need, it is also used as comfort, a way to escape boredom, a counselor for our emotions, and a way to socialize. This for some can lead to problems, including obesity. So how do we really know if we are hungry?
The website that I found gives tips on how to know when you're really hungry or just wanting to eat because of other reasons. The website suggests that you allow yourself to actually feel what hunger feels like. Try not eating until you actually feel the hunger pains in your stomach, or the dizziness that comes from lack of food. This way you will actually know when your body needs food and when you're eating just to eat. So many people eat for reason other that hunger. With that comes extra body weight which releases hormones such as leptin, which actually makes you think that you're more hungry. Food can create a vicious cycle of wanting to eat and things such as causing health problems.
For more tips such as what to do if you're an emotional eater, or if you eat too much junk food, check out the website!
I also found the book’s discussion of hunger to be quite interesting. Given how big of a role genetics can play in setting a person’s homeostasis, I feel bad for so many people who work very hard to lose weight, but end up binging because their homeostasis needs will simply not allow it without an abundance of discomfort. That is definitely not to say people are powerless in their situation, however. It is clear that a person’s environment and situation has a huge effect on their diet. As I believe the book mentioned, those who live in poverty may actually be more susceptible to obesity because they cannot afford higher quality food. Those who live with others who eat a lot are also at a much higher risk of obesity because the food is in front of them and available. The book says that “a person’s chance of becoming obese increases by over 50% if he or she has a friend who recently became obese.”
I also completely agree with what the blogger above said. In our culture, we tend to use food as a way to pass the time. We sometimes eat unconsciously while watching television. Studies have shown that people consume more in the presence of others. In our culture we have a strong tradition of eating in groups when we actually would consume considerably less if we regularly ate alone. People also use food, especially chocolate, as a way to make themselves feel better and alleviate feelings of depression, whether acute or mild.
I also briefly mentioned this in the last blog I wrote, but I sometimes wonder if there should be higher standards put in place for certain very unhealthy fast food products, some of which contain addictive ingredients. Given the gigantic debate over health care costs, it seems very odd to me that there has not been more discussion about fast food standards since obesity and problems stemming from obesity account for a significant portion of Health Care costs – I think this is an area we need to have a deeper discussion about. If not for the money we could potentially save our nation, then for the well-being and livelihood of the amazingly high number of Americans who know fall into the category of being either obese or morbidly obese.
I think one obvious problem in this is that the large corporations have a very big interest in maintaining the status quo regarding the products they sell. It is very unlikely that will change any time soon, they wield fairly substantial political power. It is obvious that some companies seem to be motivated by nothing other than greed and are not genuinely concerned about the well-being of their customers. Still, the fact remains that this discussion of hunger and obesity is related to a larger problem within our society.
I believe this discussion is still relevant to our motivation and emotion course because it involves finding a proper balance between happiness and health. Having access to plenty of cheap and tasty food is great and can make us very happy, but I would think that the harmful consequences of certain fast food products should greatly decrease our motivation to continue eating them. This does not always seem to be the case though. I would be very interested to hear what others think concerning this discussion.
This piece is interesting, and I am not trying to say that my comment is not going to sound a little defensive, but I do have a hard time following this blog and article for the reasons that just because one person may be overweight or enjoy food does not always mean they have a problem. One other thing is let’s not get confused here what your article is really describing which is BED (Binge Eating Disorder), and yes there is a difference. Another problem that I have with the article is that the columnist is not really qualified to be speaking for a population they don’t understand. In looking at the link you have given in your blog, the steps are helpful but I feel that they have confused some steps and do not offer any type of resources. One thing that is not mentioned in this article that could be useful is other aspects to how the brain reacts to the intake of food. Our book does spend some time on how our body tells us how we need to meet our needs, but what if our body reacts to these signals differently? Like sometimes the hypothalamus doesn’t send out the correct messages that you might be full or satisfied, there also is new evidence that low levels of serotonin can also have a role in compulsive eating.
So here is where I might sound really defensive, but in looking at the link you provided step one and two should be switched. Any counselor will tell you first off that dealing with the reasons why you might be overeating or eating out of boredom will tell you that trying to fix the eating first will not help, if you are still internally hurting. It would only make since, because you don’t try to walk on a broken leg, you have to fix the leg before you can walk on it again, if not your leg will continue to be broken. I also, have to say, not all people who over eat are considered Obese, and enjoy a lot of junk food. For instance, I am what you probably would consider obese and I do have an eating disorder. I am not ashamed to say this after receiving counseling for some time now and I do not run to a bowl of cookies, ice cream, soda, chips, pizza or hamburgers. I rather enjoy vegetables and fruit, and I don’t crave junk food.
It was in realizing that I had an eating problem and seeing a counselor for this disorder, that I have learned that my once naive perception of what a compulsive overeater was is not what they really are. This is also when I learned the difference between BED and people who over eat, cause Overeating does include Bulimia as well as other eating disorders. It also includes a lot of people who simple eat when they are not hungry, you know when you eat that popcorn at a movie and you are not hungry, the ice cream after a break up or that cookie after dinner or finish off that delicious meal even though you knew you were full. It is understandable for this perception from a lot of people who don’t know what the real meaning of this label includes especially if they have never been in this situation. I have attached some articles that I think are interesting and plus both are done by professionals who deal with people that might be dealing with these problems as well as offer great advice and support.
I am also not trying to say that your piece is a bad, but sometimes when using non-expert sources for information things can be not fully correct. Some can be helpful and some are, but for instance, the author of our textbook, snipped at some information and it can be misused. Then they might come across offensive to people who suffer from this particular problem, which can hurt an individual who needs professional help.
http://www.edreferral.com/compulsive_overeating.htm
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/binge_eating_disorder.htm