Snacks, Overeating, and Sensory Science
Got a weakness for chocolate chip cookies? Kettle chips? Pizza? Ira talks with former FDA commissioner David Kessler about how tasty foods change your brain, and how the food industry designs the fat, salt, and sugar-laden snacks you crave. Kessler, the former head of the FDA during the Bush and Clinton administrations, is the author of the new book "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite." Is overeating a lack of willpower, or a disease?
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200907106
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This article is very interesting to me. Me as many others are starting their new years diet plan and many people don't know many of the things brought up in this segment. Knowing what your body needs vs. what it wants is a big difference. I saw a video in high school about McDonald's.(Super-size me) In the video a guy eats McDonald's food daily and then goes to his doctor to see what kind of effects it has had on him. If more people knew what fatty food did to them I think they would be more likely to eat healthy. If your body is craving something sweet eat fruit not a candy bar. Personally I think portion control is a major problem not just the quality of foods. Serving sizes are posted on most packaging and a majority of society doesn't look at it. Fatty foods can be OK sometimes in moderation. I sound like a health food junkie but I'm not. I started dieting this semester not to look better but to be healthier. My goal is to lose the weight I have put on in college. College students change their eating habits when they get away from home. If students ate a balanced meal like mom made at home the "freshman 15" wouldn't affect as many students. Society is always thinking about food like they said in the radio segment. If society was more educated about what they are putting in their mouths I think there would be less of a problem.
I'm guilty. I sat and ate a jelly doughnut while I listened to this. I love jelly doughnuts. I also wish I did not love them oh so much. Listening to this program made me think a bit harder about what I really should eat. I practice yoga and one of the core teachings is mindfulness in all aspects of life, not only during excercise. The suggestion to be mindful and aware while eating is not a new concept to me. We often whoof down a meal in front of the t.v. and before too long we don't know what we've eaten or where it all went so fast. If we make the effort to be present in each bite, find enjoyment in the flavor and texture, and more importantly stop when we are satisfied, we would not have such a problem with overeating. Of course that would also take the fun out of jelly doughnuts.
I think that this is such an interesting topic. Food consumes so many people's lives. It's something that is suppose to be used as a means of survival, but has been turned into a means of entertainment, a hobby, a comfort, an addiction, a form a therapy, as well as many other things. The topic reminds me of when I was growing up with a close network of girl friends in a small Iowa town. There were not many options of activities to do on the weekends, so often we would find ourselves staying in, watching movies, and loading up on junk food and soda. All though we all knew that the food was horrible for us, we still ate as much as we could and ate as a form of entertainment, socializing, and comfort. The next day we would of course feel disgusting, but it didn't matter, and the next weekend we would do the same exact thing. I think habbits like these as children follow many of us into adulthood which eventually leads to a more constant and comfortable habbit, which in turn may lead to obesity for some. If we can encourage children to eat healthier and be more active, we may be able to prevent obesity in children and adults.
I think they must have psychology tasters for different companies epecially McDonalds because I know I'm addicted to the fullest extent. If they had a rehab for people who engage in eating fatty foods I would check myself in right at this moment. Or as soon as I finish inhailing this Mcdonalds I have in my lap!!!
While I was looking through the S&P website finding things that my classmates had found and posted online this article really stuck out to me (along with the BDD article Cassy posted).
I really identify with this interview. I snack all the time I have a horrible diet and basically eat shitty foods all day. David Kessler is being interviewed, he is the FDA commissioner. He said that there are three basic types of foods that Americans crave: sugar, fat, and salt. Of course, all of the things that are closest to my heart, and all of the things that are most likely to kill my heart :0. These three tihngs taste good and make us feel good for a while. There is a cycle of craving, and the more you eat the more intense your cravings for this particular type of food. Craving is a huge part in this. David started this research by asking If you want to live longer and stay alive what can we do? 2/3 of Americans will die of Cardiovascular disease. He also asked why does this chocolate chip cookie have so much power over me? Is it the cookie or is it something in my brain.
David says there are three main characteristics to this cycle of craving: hard time stopping, lack of control, and thinking about food constantly. This is EXACTLY what I do. I will be eating lunch and thinking about what I am going to have for supper. That's absolutely ridiculous! This is what David calls hypereating. With hypereating the power of food comes from anticipation. There was a study that David did a study that found that there was high activation in the brain from anticipation of the food and stayed on even after they finished the food.
This to me sounds like an addiction, but is it? Is it genetic? or is it learned? David thinks that this is a driven behavior, and the food that is marketed and thrown in our faces at all times is the kind of food that stimulates us to come back for more.
This article was very distubing to me, and made me want to go eat an apple and some green beans.
I thought this article was interesting as well because, just like Wilson above, I am obsessed with food and think about it at least half of my day.
I remember learning awhile back that the reason why people eat potato chips and can't stop is because of an ingredient in them that makes us basically addicted to the food for roughly ten minutes. I wasn't able to find a site that confirmed this explanation; so it's very possible that it's a myth but I still believe it!
Also, like Kessler said, we have these cravings because we think about the food constantly and have a hard time stopping. A dietician will tell you that when you are on a diet, if you are someone that is obsessed with cheetos and always have cravings for them; you shouldn't ignore these cravings. If you do it will build up and you will break and think that the world owes you cheetos. Leading to an overeating of the cheetos that you normally wouldn't eat that amount. So, if you have a craving for this type of food eat a small amount every once in a while so you satisfy that craving without overly eating it.
This idea is totally a mind game with food. Don't let your mind think about your food craving over and over and not satisfy it because you will give in and in a bad way.
Like the others who have commented on this article, I am also a junk food addict. I LOVE food! For me, I eat things because I like the way they taste, not because of any health benefits. I think the reason I eat crap so often is because I was raised that way and also, it is so convenient. I can get fast food anytime of the day. Another reason that impacts my choices is that eating healthy is more expensive. Salad ingredients cost way more than Raman Noodles.
I have been thinking about going on a diet because I'm going to Panama City for spring break and plan on packing swimsuits and party clothes only. I need to get back in shape. What I was told by this program clip is that dieting won't work. I need to change the way I think about food. I'm going to try and think about the contents of what I'm eating instead of the taste. This idea seems like it will work IF I can stop thinking about how good unhealthy foods taste. I've heard about hypnosis being used as a diet solution but when searching the topic, I came up with just companies trying to sell me stuff. I wonder if hypnosis could be used to change someone's way of thinking about food.
I think this article was very interesting because it is such an important issue in the world today. For people with eating disorders, the first order of priority is emotional. We eat for excitement, love, celebration, loneliness, escape, pleasure, and comfort. We devour food, purge, or abort eating to anesthetize ourselves. We eat out of anger, resentment, envy, jealousy, fear, pride, guilt, and grief. Second is spiritual. People with eating disorders seem to have lost that conscious contact with their Higher Power. This has a lot to do with self-esteem. Finally, it is physical. To give an example, place an alcoholic and a compulsive overeater on an island for a week with only a three-day ration of food and a six pack of beer. See which one goes crazy first. When we honestly look at our eating patterns, we discover that not only do we habitually overeat, but also we have a very strong preference foods or food groups. What we find is that certain foods—as well as overeating in general—seem to set up the craving for more. Sometimes, we intend to have only one of something, and end up having ten. Other times the craving may be subtle. Have one today, two or three tomorrow, and suddenly it is five or ten. We emphasize the importance of not taking that first bite of a personal binge food. Because these foods differ among individuals, we must each determine which foods trigger this craving behavior.
I found this audio to be very important! As the person stated above me, this is a problem in the U.S. today! I am from San Antonio, which was the fatest city in the United States just a few years ago. If there is some psychology to get people to slow down on eating that would be a miracle almost! I love the way the podcast starts off, with the "Lays" saying. This scientist in the podcast talks about the question, "If you want to live longer..." The scientist talks about a librarian who lost 30lbs and why is it so hard to lose weight? Eating is attached with feelings!! It was interesting to hear about how our brain relates to the things we crave. It is interesting when he talks about a preoccupation of thinking of foods. Eating is a driven behavior. It was also interesting that the people who do not have a desire to always be eating have become the abnormal individuals. I also wish we knew whether what the scientist is talking about is learned or genetic. THis is something that caught my interest and I hope conitunes to be studied. He does talk about it being both conditioned and driven. When i think about it, this is very true to my own life. We have such a routine, we know at lunch time we are suppose to be hungry.