Why You Gain Weight
And, HAPPY NEW YEAR again!
The following article was so well written, researched and documented with specific, easy to comprehend scientific data, that I felt compelled to share it with you, my dear friends, to help get you off to a healthier start for 2008 and beyond.
So, Read and Reap! Best always,
Jacques
Learn how to curb an out-of-control appetite
By Beth Howard (published in REMEDY's Medzine)
It seems simple: You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. But appetite, as opposed to hunger—and its effect on weight—turns out to be a good deal more complicated.
That’s because, unlike hunger, appetite is affected by much more than your body’s basic need for fuel. For starters, hormones, metabolism, factors in your stomach and intestines, nerve signals and the sight, smell and taste of appealing foods all play a role in reaching satiety. Then there’s the influence of non-physiological factors like emotions, habits and sheer boredom, says Kathleen Melanson, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Rhode Island. As most of us know, it’s all too easy to reach for a snack when you aren’t really hungry and don’t need the calories. Psychologists call this hedonic appetite: “It’s when you eat for pleasure or for medicating yourself when you’re stressed,” says Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., R.D., a psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Luckily, scientists have come up with a multitude of ways to curb an out-of-control appetite—and achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Try these tactics to keep hunger at bay:
Strive for calm.
“Stress can be a trigger for overeating or eating things you normally wouldn’t eat,” says Debra A. Zellner, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, NJ. When the women in one of her studies were presented with a tension-triggering task, they were more likely to chow down on fattening M&Ms, passing up healthier choices like grapes and nuts. To help you avoid such snacking, try yoga, meditation and other stress-management practices to keep your cool.
Favor foods that fill you up.
Foods that are high in water and low in fat (fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy) provide fewer calories per bite, and help to control your hunger—which may make it easier to control your appetite, too. “By adding water-rich foods like vegetables and beans to your favorite dishes, you get more satisfying portions,” says Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories.
In fact, Penn State researchers recently found that diets that focus on foods that are low in calorie density can promote weight loss while controlling hunger. Women who added water-rich foods to a low-fat diet lost more weight during the first six months of the study than those who followed a low-fat diet alone—on average, 19 pounds versus 14 pounds.
So look for ways to fill up without adding calories. One good method: eating high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and legumes.
Sip soup.
In another recent study, Penn State researchers showed that having a bowl of low-calorie soup before a meal slashed the amount of food and calories consumed at the meal by 20 percent. Pick a broth-based soup containing no more than 100 to 150 calories per serving.
Don’t starve yourself.
It’s why most diets typically don’t work. “When you restrict calories too severely, as in crash diets, the brain’s reward and satiety system changes,” says Boggiano. “Signaling of dopamine and endorphins—the same neurotransmitters involved in drug addiction—becomes more sensitized. Along with a decrease in serotonin (the neurotransmitter that makes you feel full and controls mood), this increases your appetite for yummy foods and may actually train your brain to crave high-calorie foods to feel better.”
Get sweaty.
Research has shown that moderately intense exercise (65 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate) temporarily curbs hunger. Next time you’re feeling hungry and it’s way before chow time, go for a brisk walk or a bike ride.
Eat slowly.
Research from the University of Rhode Island confirms the wisdom of this old advice. Investigators asked 30 women to eat two pasta meals, one quickly and one slowly. Both times they were told to eat until they were comfortably satiated. When eating quickly, they finished the meal in less than 10 minutes. To eat slowly, they were instructed to chew each bite 15 to 20 times and to put down their silverware between mouthfuls.
The result: “Women consumed fewer calories when eating the same meal slowly as compared to eating quickly,” says Melanson, the study’s lead investigator. And they rated themselves as less hungry and more satisfied after the slow-paced lunch. “One possible explanation is that it may take time for satiety signals to be communicated from the gastrointestinal system to the brain,” Melanson explains.
Get your Zzzs.
```Research from the University of Chicago shows that skimping on sleep sets off a cascade of hormonal changes that can boost your appetite, leading to extra weight and even diabetes. Sleep deprivation raises levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and inhibits the release of the hormone leptin, which signals the brain when you’ve had enough to eat.
“A chronic sleep debt may make losing weight more difficult,” says study author Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. Aim for seven or eight hours of shut-eye each night.
Consider medication.
If a supersize appetite is sabotaging your efforts to slim down, talk to your doctor about suppressing it with medication. In general, you are a candidate for a weight-loss drug if you have either a BMI (body mass index) above 30 or one that’s greater than 27 along with health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Louis J. Aronne, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York City, says there is a role for weight-loss drugs. But, he adds, “keep in mind that there is no one magic bullet for weight loss. In fact, it’s going to take several different drugs (as we have for treating cholesterol and hypertension), along with lifestyle changes, to tackle the obesity epidemic.”
All medications (both OTC and prescription) have side effects that must be carefully considered. Discuss the risks and potential benefits of all weight-loss medication with your doctor, and monitor your health carefully if you take them.
The following article was so well written, researched and documented with specific, easy to comprehend scientific data, that I felt compelled to share it with you, my dear friends, to help get you off to a healthier start for 2008 and beyond.
So, Read and Reap! Best always,
Jacques
Learn how to curb an out-of-control appetite
By Beth Howard (published in REMEDY's Medzine)
It seems simple: You eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. But appetite, as opposed to hunger—and its effect on weight—turns out to be a good deal more complicated.
That’s because, unlike hunger, appetite is affected by much more than your body’s basic need for fuel. For starters, hormones, metabolism, factors in your stomach and intestines, nerve signals and the sight, smell and taste of appealing foods all play a role in reaching satiety. Then there’s the influence of non-physiological factors like emotions, habits and sheer boredom, says Kathleen Melanson, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Rhode Island. As most of us know, it’s all too easy to reach for a snack when you aren’t really hungry and don’t need the calories. Psychologists call this hedonic appetite: “It’s when you eat for pleasure or for medicating yourself when you’re stressed,” says Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., R.D., a psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Luckily, scientists have come up with a multitude of ways to curb an out-of-control appetite—and achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Try these tactics to keep hunger at bay:
Strive for calm.
“Stress can be a trigger for overeating or eating things you normally wouldn’t eat,” says Debra A. Zellner, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, NJ. When the women in one of her studies were presented with a tension-triggering task, they were more likely to chow down on fattening M&Ms, passing up healthier choices like grapes and nuts. To help you avoid such snacking, try yoga, meditation and other stress-management practices to keep your cool.
Favor foods that fill you up.
Foods that are high in water and low in fat (fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy) provide fewer calories per bite, and help to control your hunger—which may make it easier to control your appetite, too. “By adding water-rich foods like vegetables and beans to your favorite dishes, you get more satisfying portions,” says Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories.
In fact, Penn State researchers recently found that diets that focus on foods that are low in calorie density can promote weight loss while controlling hunger. Women who added water-rich foods to a low-fat diet lost more weight during the first six months of the study than those who followed a low-fat diet alone—on average, 19 pounds versus 14 pounds.
So look for ways to fill up without adding calories. One good method: eating high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains and legumes.
Sip soup.
In another recent study, Penn State researchers showed that having a bowl of low-calorie soup before a meal slashed the amount of food and calories consumed at the meal by 20 percent. Pick a broth-based soup containing no more than 100 to 150 calories per serving.
Don’t starve yourself.
It’s why most diets typically don’t work. “When you restrict calories too severely, as in crash diets, the brain’s reward and satiety system changes,” says Boggiano. “Signaling of dopamine and endorphins—the same neurotransmitters involved in drug addiction—becomes more sensitized. Along with a decrease in serotonin (the neurotransmitter that makes you feel full and controls mood), this increases your appetite for yummy foods and may actually train your brain to crave high-calorie foods to feel better.”
Get sweaty.
Research has shown that moderately intense exercise (65 to 75 percent of maximum heart rate) temporarily curbs hunger. Next time you’re feeling hungry and it’s way before chow time, go for a brisk walk or a bike ride.
Eat slowly.
Research from the University of Rhode Island confirms the wisdom of this old advice. Investigators asked 30 women to eat two pasta meals, one quickly and one slowly. Both times they were told to eat until they were comfortably satiated. When eating quickly, they finished the meal in less than 10 minutes. To eat slowly, they were instructed to chew each bite 15 to 20 times and to put down their silverware between mouthfuls.
The result: “Women consumed fewer calories when eating the same meal slowly as compared to eating quickly,” says Melanson, the study’s lead investigator. And they rated themselves as less hungry and more satisfied after the slow-paced lunch. “One possible explanation is that it may take time for satiety signals to be communicated from the gastrointestinal system to the brain,” Melanson explains.
Get your Zzzs.
```Research from the University of Chicago shows that skimping on sleep sets off a cascade of hormonal changes that can boost your appetite, leading to extra weight and even diabetes. Sleep deprivation raises levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and inhibits the release of the hormone leptin, which signals the brain when you’ve had enough to eat.
“A chronic sleep debt may make losing weight more difficult,” says study author Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. Aim for seven or eight hours of shut-eye each night.
Consider medication.
If a supersize appetite is sabotaging your efforts to slim down, talk to your doctor about suppressing it with medication. In general, you are a candidate for a weight-loss drug if you have either a BMI (body mass index) above 30 or one that’s greater than 27 along with health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Louis J. Aronne, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York City, says there is a role for weight-loss drugs. But, he adds, “keep in mind that there is no one magic bullet for weight loss. In fact, it’s going to take several different drugs (as we have for treating cholesterol and hypertension), along with lifestyle changes, to tackle the obesity epidemic.”
All medications (both OTC and prescription) have side effects that must be carefully considered. Discuss the risks and potential benefits of all weight-loss medication with your doctor, and monitor your health carefully if you take them.
posted by Jacques Girard, Ph.D. at 9:53 AM
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