Posts Tagged ‘overweight kids’
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Quench your Thirsty Thoughts!
It seems like every time you turn around there is a new drink in town. Whether it’s a new sports drink or fruit juice, top companies are concocting some of the worlds’ top diet busters. Unfortunately consumers are unaware of how quickly drinks can pack on the pounds. Drinking calories is not nearly as satisfying as eating calories so you take in more calories without becoming full!
Most drinks contain “empty calories.” In other words, they are void of minerals and/or nutrients. Sugary sodas and frappuccino drinks definitely subtract years from your life and add pounds to your waistline: not a healthy combination. Sports drinks and fruit juices are not any better and should be limited to athletes or an 8 oz glass a day, respectively.
Many parents of wary of giving kids drinks with artificial sweeteners. Studies show, however, that they are completely safe for kids. I give them to my own children with no hesitation.
Below are a list of drinks to try and drinks to avoid. Feel free to use the list to help you navigate the beverage world!
Try These Drinks
1. Smart Water or other bottled water
2. Vitamin Water Zero
3. Crystal Light
4. Unsweetened Iced Tea
5. Fuze Slenderize
6. G2
7. Seltzer, Flavored or Original
8. Flavored Water
9. Sparkling Water
Avoid These Drinks
1. Iced Tea, Any Type with Sugar
2. Energy Drinks (Red Bull, Rockstar, etc)
3. Coffee Drinks made with Whole Milk
4. Frappucino
5. Any type of regular soda
6. Fruit Punch
7. Lemonade
8. Gatorade, Powerade, Fuze, or any Sports Drink
9. Hot Chocolate
10. Vitamin Water
One important tip: Don’t forget to look at the serving size!
When looking for the perfect drink to quench your thirst, you must first look at the nutrition label and serving size. If there is a load of sugar per 8 oz glass (most bottles are 16 oz) than steer clear of that drink! Also, the frozen coffee drinks are loaded with whole milk, cream, and sugar; for a healthier alternative try making your own with skim milk, coffee, sugar substitute and low fat yogurt. Just remember that we don’t recommend coffee drinks (even decaf!) for kids.
When all else fails drink good old H2O! If it’s too plain for you, add fruit or lemon slices for extra healthy flavor and antioxidants!
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Friday, June 4th, 2010
While it may seem obvious that banning trans fats would make foods healthier, I did not think it would be so. I feared that food manufacturers would simply switch to another type of fat that was just as unhealthy as the trans fats. In fact, I have warned many a patient, “If it looks unhealthy, chances are it is unhealthy regardless of what the packaging claims.” And while I still stand by that advice, it seems as if some (but not all!) food manufacturers have found a healthier type of fat.
All fats are not equal; different types of fat affect your body differently. Some fats (saturated fats and trans fats) increase your ‘bad’ cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. Other fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats) actually lower cholesterol and decrease the likelihood of heart disease.
Trans fats are the worst types of fats. These fats increase LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol), increase total cholesterol and lower HDL (‘good’ cholesterol), causing a particularly increased risk of heart attack and stroke. They are not found in nature; rather they are artificially made in laboratories. Liquid oils are put through a chemical process to make them solid at room temperature. Trans fats greatly increase the shelf life of a product and are extremely inexpensive to produce. They are found in shortening, margarine, and most commercially prepared baked goods. Most fried foods are deep fried in trans fats.
A group from Harvard looked at 83 foods that had been reformulated since 2006, when the government required food labels to list the amount of trans fat in packaged products. At that time, food producers scrambled to find a cheap replacement. The mission was to find a fat that was inexpensive yet still tasted good and had a pleasing texture.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, from Harvard, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest looked at the current fat content of both packaged foods and restaurant offerings. Researchers used information from the FDA databases, nutrition labels, and industry brochures. According to a letter published in a recent New England Journal of Medicine, nearly all of the foods were free or mostly free of trans fat and many companies did not increase their saturated fat content when they cut out the trans fats. 65 percent of supermarket products and 90 percent of restaurant fare contained saturated fat levels that were lower, unchanged or only slightly higher than before.
According to the study, a large order of McDonald’s French fries had a favorable makeover. Trans fat dropped from 7 1/4 grams to zero; saturated fat went from 5 1/2 grams to 3 1/2 grams. Gorton’s Crunchy Golden Fish Sticks also did well. Trans fat went from 3 grams per serving to zero; saturated fat unchanged at 4 grams. Entenmann’s Rich Frosted Donut, however, is an example of a company removing trans fat without increasing the healthiness of the food! While trans fat dropped from 5 grams to zero, saturated fat more than doubled from 5 grams to 13 grams.
Entenmann’s Rich Frosted Donut is just one example. “Just because trans fat is gone from gluttonous foods doesn’t mean they’re healthy”, said Dr. David Heber, who heads the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. “Trans fat or not, a doughnut is still a doughnut. Even Homer Simpson will back me up on that,” said Heber, who had no connection with the research.
So it seems as if my advice still holds. Do not eat something without knowing what is in it. Make sure you check nutrition labels and limit your intake of trans fat and saturated fat. And, finally, remember my sage advice: If it looks unhealthy, it probably is unhealthy. Pick something else!
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Friday, May 21st, 2010
Camps are generally nurturing environments designed to help your child succeed and grow. Whether playing sports all day or learning about science experiments, all children need healthy foods to help their endurance and brain activity. Healthy lifestyles begin with healthy food choices and healthy food choices should be encouraged every day, no matter where you are; school or camp! Because you are a concerned parent, there are a few questions you must ask the camp administration upon admitting your child into summer camp.
Here are a few suggestions to help make the most out of your child’s camp experience:
- Make sure the camp is accredited by the ACA (American Camp Association). It is the best evidence parents have of a camp’s commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children. This voluntary accreditation guarantees parents that camp practices have been measured against national standards and go a step beyond basic licensing requirements.
- Speak to the camp administration regarding their food resources and snack-time availability. Ensure their food suppliers have a high-quality reputation and encourage a break be made for a snack time if there is not any.
- Talk to the camp nutrition staff (if there is one) and ask them what types of meals are served. Remember, you want fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats being served to your child on a daily basis.
- Does the camp have any nutrition guidelines? If so, what are they? Ask to speak with the camp official who is in charge of the menu.
- If your child is attending a day camp, you may want to ask if children can bring their own lunches and snacks; by doing this you can control the nutritional value of the meal.
Focus on a healthy lifestyle all year round! Months and months of health food choices during school cannot afford to be offset by unhealthy food choices made in the summer. It is important that children are served well-balanced and healthful meals at summer camps not only to maintain their weight loss but to remain fit and active. Become an advocate for your child and demand that healthy meals are served at camp. Do not be afraid to ask questions concerning the nutritional value of meals being served to your child; summer camps want to provide special experiences for your children so they should be happy to help you in any way possible.
Top 10 Snacks for Camp-Go-ers!
- Hummus with fresh carrots, celery and peppers for dipping.
- Peanut butter spread on rice cakes.
- 2 cups of air-popped popcorn.
- Trail mix made of low fat and low sugar granola, assorted nuts, seeds, raisins and craisins.
- Non-fat plain yogurt topped with fresh berries.
- 1 cup of edamame.
- Apple slices and low fat string cheese.
- 1 small whole wheat pita stuffed with 2 turkey slices, spinach leaves and fat-free cheese.
- Baked sweet potato chips.
- Your favorite flavor Fiber One bar.
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Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
What child doesn’t love to eat a bag of popcorn, licking the excess salt off of each finger? Many of the foods we love contain large amounts of sodium. Foods with lower levels of sodium often taste bland. But are we once again sabotaging our health for taste? (Yes!) And should the government help save the public’s health by mandating decreased levels of salt in the foods American’s consume? (Yes!)
According to a new statement from the Food and Drug Administration, Americans are eating way too much salt. The FDA has called for the government to impose stricter regulations on how much salt food products can contain. Unfortunately, the government has no plans to institute these suggestions. Instead, the FDA must rely on voluntary salt reductions from food manufacturers. To date, this approach has not worked very well.
How much salt are we eating? The average American eats 1.5 teaspoons of salt a day, more than double the recommended amount. In fact, this amount of salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, strokes, and other medical problems. Don’t think that you are safe by simply forgoing the salt shaker! Putting salt on foods only adds insult to injury. Large amounts of salt are hidden in most processed foods and restaurant meals.
Current government guidelines call for a maximum daily sodium intake of 2,300 milligrams. Health problems appear when intake is above this number. These new statements suggest a recommended maximum daily sodium intake of 1,500 mg a day (and less for adults over age 50). It seems we pay no attention to these guidelines as the average consumption of sodium is more than 3,400 mg a day. Apparently, simply knowing that one’s diet is not healthy is not enough to convince the average American to change his habits.
Rather than calling for a drastic reduction in added sodium, researchers are suggesting a gradual change so the country’s taste buds can adapt and the food industry has time to look for tasty, but healthier, alternatives. Their proposed regulations would ease both food producers and consumers into a healthier way of eating by setting maximum sodium levels for different foods in a stepwise rollback set over a period of years. The final goal is to decrease salt consumption by 0.5 teaspoons per day.
Government officials claim that writing new laws to set limits on sodium levels would take much longer than working with food executives on voluntary reductions. Food executives, however, argue that there are no tasty ways to decrease sodium levels. But brand-to-brand differences in the same foods suggest that’s not so.
The Institute of Medicine, in a statement given this Tuesday, reported that the food industry has made very little progress in voluntarily reducing sodium. What a surprise! You mean companies haven’t been willing to spend large amounts of money to produce a product that, while healthier, will not taste quite as good? Shocking. How can a plan based solely on the good nature of food industry executives not succeed?
Salt leads to real health problems. One in three U.S. adults suffers from high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. The American Medical Association predicts that 150,000 lives could be saved each year, simply by cutting the sodium levels in processed and restaurant foods in half.
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Friday, April 16th, 2010
We all know smoking is a bad habit that not only affects the smoker, but also impacts innocent bystanders. But new studies are showing just how much the most innocent of all, our children, are impacted by smoking.
New research from the American Heart Association shows that secondhand smoke is particularly harmful to toddlers and obese children. And its negative effects are broader than previously believed.
There are certain markers of vascular injury (possibly a precursor to heart disease) that indicate an increased risk of heart attack. Obese children with exposure to secondhand smoke have significantly increased levels of these markers, indicating a likely increased risk for cardiovascular disease. This new study also showed that obese children had twice the levels of these markers than normal-weight children.
This increased risk is particularly disturbing because overweight and obese children are already at increased risk of heart disease. Exposure to secondhand smoke is just making a bad situation worse. And with one out of every three children in our country overweight and obese, exposure to secondhand smoke could lead to a significant number of heart attacks.
As a pediatrician, I have heard every excuse from smoking parents. “I never smoke around the kids.” “I wash my hands before touching my children after smoking.” “I go outside to smoke.”
But the unfortunate truth is that children are exposed to secondhand smoke in every one of the above situations. Smoke remnants remain on clothes and in hair and continue to be harmful. There is no way to fully eliminate all the toxins from smoking. Besides not smoking, of course.
I know that giving up smoking is not easy to do. Nicotine is addictive and smokers go into withdrawal when they quit. But there are so many options out there to help smokers. If you want to quit smoking, you can consider nicotine gum or a nicotine patch. You can also speak to your physician about certain medications that can help.
The bottom line is that your children’s health is at risk, particularly if they are overweight or obese. Don’t continue to make excuses or downplay the effect your smoking has on your kids. Exposure to secondhand smoke is more dangerous than we previously thought. The best way to ensure your child has a healthy future is to stop smoking today!
American Heart Association (2009, November 18). Secondhand smoke exposure worse for toddlers, obese children. ScienceDaily.
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Monday, March 22nd, 2010
A South Carolina woman was charged with criminal neglect when her 14 year old son reached a shocking 555 pounds. I am sure that many of you can understand the charge because the example is so egregious. But how do we know this is really the mother’s fault? And if we do decide to charge parents of obese kids with child abuse, where do we draw the line?
As a Pediatrician and Child Obesity Expert, I see a wide range of overweight children. Some patients are simply ten pounds overweight while others are more than one hundred pounds overweight. How do you decide who to charge with criminal neglect?
Many of the parents of my morbidly obese patients have been struggling (unsuccessfully) to keep their kids’ weights down. They beg. They plead. They keep junk food out of the house. They lock their refrigerators. Yet these kids still manage to gain access to food.
It is somewhat easier to protect a younger child. But even at school, a kid can overeat. All a child has to do is cry that he is hungry and the lunch aides will serve him a second (or even a third) helping. And many a heavy child has begged their thinner classmates for some of their lunch. At the many parties thrown in class (for birthdays, holidays, and “special” days), these kids try to eat as many servings as possible. Even worse, a Mom may give her daughter some money to buy a turkey sandwich and never know that she used it to buy French fries and cookies instead. Parents have very little control over what their kids are eating out of the house.
Socioeconomic factors also play a role in the development of child obesity. I will admit, my family and I ate at McDonald’s last month during a long car trip and I was shocked at how little it cost. My family of four ate for less than $15. It’s no wonder that families with little money often opt for this cheap, but unhealthy, option.
Obesity rates are also affected by environmental factors, like access to playgrounds and parks. Many families live in unsafe areas where kids can’t simply go outside to play. These children are often kept indoors for their own safety. And what do these kids do while cooped up in the house? Eat and watch television, more risk factors for weight gain. How can we blame parents for these inequities?
Some kids are genetically predisposed for obesity. While less than 10% of all cases of child obesity are due to known genetic defects, it does happen. Some individuals are deficient (or resistant to) the effects of a protein called leptin. Leptin is what tells our brain that we are full and no longer need to eat. Mice studies prove that mice with leptin defects become obese, sometimes to the point of eating themselves to death! These mice will eat until they become sick… and then they eat some more.
Some obese individuals have been found to have these same leptin defects. Clearly, obesity in these kids cannot be their parents’ fault. It is possible that genetic defects are responsible for more cases of child obesity than we realize because we haven’t yet discovered the responsible genes. I would hate to put a mother in jail or separate a family only to find out a few years later that the child suffers from a previously unheard of genetic defect. There is simply no way to know for sure whether a child is obese because of a parent’s neglect or some genetic predisposition.
This is not simply conjecture. A family in Britain was on a Social Service’s watch list, at risk for losing their children, due to their kids’ weights. Luckily, Dr. Sadaf Forooqi discovered a gene deletion that left these kids unresponsive to leptin, causing them to live in constant hunger. Dr. Forooqi spoke to authorities and Social Services dropped the investigation. Had Dr. Forooqi not made that discovery in time, this family would have been devastated for no reason!
So let’s go back to our initial example of the 555 pound South Carolina teen, Alexander Draper. His mother, Jerri Gray lost custody of her son and is being charged with criminal neglect. Gray is facing 15 years on two felony counts, the first U.S. felony case involving childhood obesity, said her lawyer, Grant Varner. Could Alexander suffer from an unknown genetic abnormality? Are we sure that he can control his hunger in a normal way? Alexander Draper hasn’t even been tested for genetic causes of obesity, according to Varner. How can we justify putting this woman in jail for something that may not be her fault? We don’t know what goes on in that house. It is possible that the problem lies within Alexander’s DNA. And how can we punish his mother for that?
Now I am not saying that all parents are blameless. It is horrifying to see parents feeding obese children unhealthy foods and parents must be responsibility for keeping their kids as healthy as possible. I am just not sure that jail is the answer.
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Friday, February 26th, 2010
It is commonly believed that a vegetarian diet is a healthy diet. And that is usually true, but not always. Consider the mother who recently told me that her child had decided to become a vegetarian. As she described his diet, I realized that he did not eat a single fruit or vegetable! Isn’t that a fundamental part of being a vegetarian? More and more, however, young vegetarians are turning into “carb-etarians”, eating few fruits and vegetables and opting for starches, such as pasta, pizza, and French fries. Clearly, this sort of diet is in no way healthy.
There are many ways in which eating a true vegetarian diet (complete with fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins) can benefit your health. Dairy foods and certain animal products, like beef, tend to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol; limiting or eliminating these foods from your diet is a great way to cut back on these “bad” fats. However, people who choose to adopt a vegetarian way of life tend to make up these calories by eating more carbohydrates like breads, rice, pastas and other starches. While your LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) can be greatly reduced from switching to vegetarianism, a diet too high in carbohydrates can actually result in elevated triglyceride levels. Triglycerides contribute to total cholesterol levels, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.
The foundation of any healthy diet is one with balance, variety and moderation. Eating a wide range of foods ensures that you will get all of the nutrients your body requires. So while adopting vegetarianism can be part of a healthy lifestyle, it is important to choose your foods carefully. Relying solely on carbohydrates for nourishment is not healthy. Dietary protein is important for maintaining your immune system and for building and repairing your body tissues. Vegetarians need to eat the proper amount of plant-based protein each day.
Meats, fish, eggs and poultry are the most “complete” sources of essential amino acids, the protein building blocks that the body can’t make on its own. Other foods do contain protein but are usually “incomplete” sources of amino acids, meaning they have some, but not all, of the amino acids needed to make proteins. Vegetarians can ensure that they are getting all of the essential amino acids by combining foods, such as whole grains with nuts or legumes. For example, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, or rice and beans. These foods don’t necessarily have to be eaten at the same meal; as long as you are having these foods throughout the day, the body is able to “pool” amino acids and save them to form body protein later on.
It is very possible to consume a vegetarian diet that has only plant-based proteins and is still nutritionally balanced. In fact, this type of diet can greatly reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, peas and lentils are full of fiber and antioxidants, which decrease your risk for certain cancers and heart disease. In addition to making you feel full and satisfied, dietary fiber can lower serum cholesterol levels and improve colon health.
The heart-healthy benefits that can be gained from switching to vegetarianism are not solely dependent on the foods you eliminate from your diet. What you include in your diet is also important. The bottom line is that vegetarians must eat fruit, vegetables, and plant-based proteins.
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Friday, January 29th, 2010
In the winter when the cold weather blows in, you might find it hard to motivate yourself to get out of bed or even leave the house. Shorter winter days also mean less sunlight every day and sunlight helps us feel wide-awake. You might be experiencing a winter slump and a drop-off in energy levels like many other people. And when lacking in energy, many people look towards food for an extra boost. Make sure you’re choosing the right foods year-round and follow these tips for beating your winter blues!
Folate
Mood, sleep and appetite are regulated by serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Folic Acid, or folate, helps your body to process and lower homocysteine levels. High levels of homocysteine are associated with damage to blood vessels, in addition to interfering with the flow of blood and nutrients to the brain. Impaired blood flow may leave you feeling sluggish or slow to process or recall information.
Good sources of folic acid are green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts), potatoes, fortified breads and cereals, beans, peas and mushrooms.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have hormone-like effects and anti-inflammatory properties in the body. People who experience seasonal depression during fall and winter have been found to have lower levels of omega-3s. They have also been found to experience an improvement in mood with supplementation of this nutrient.
Omega-3s are found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna, some plant oils (flaxseed, canola), and walnuts.
Vitamin D
The body normally makes Vitamin D from sunlight. This nutrient has many different roles in the body, one of which is to help in the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps you to feel calm, relaxed and happy. Many people are lacking in Vitamin D in the winter because of fewer daylight hours and exposure to sunlight. Currently, Vitamin D is being investigated for its ability to decrease depressive symptoms. Eat foods that are a good source of this vitamin.
Low fat milk is fortified with Vitamin D, in addition to many cereals and some orange juices (check the labels). One important thing to note is that food sources of Vitamin D are limited, and many people are deficient in this nutrient without even realizing it. Depending on your diet, you may need to take a Calcium + Vitamin D supplement.
Protein
Known for their ability to relax and calm your mood, carbohydrates can contribute to sleepiness. A diet high in protein and lower in carbohydrates may help to improve mood, stimulate energy and chase away feelings of sluggishness. Protein foods made from amino acids help to stimulate the production of tyrosine, which is responsible for the synthesis of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. These are chemicals in your brain that promote feeling alert and that enhance energy.
Low fat dairy products like milk, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt are good sources of protein, in addition to lean meats, poultry and eggs. Aim to have some protein on your plate at every meal to keep feeling lively and active all year round!
Rosemary
Many herbs and spices are notorious for their beneficial effects on health in addition to adding flavor to dishes. Rosemary has been shown to increase blood flow to your brain and improve mood. Like Omega-3 fatty acids, this herb also has anti-inflammatory properties and may even benefit the immune system. Responsible for fighting infection and warding off winter colds and flu, keeping your immune system strong will keep you on your feet and feeling great.
Use Rosemary to season your meals and bolster your immunity this winter season!
Just because the sky is gray and the temperature is low, doesn’t mean your mood has to be! Choosing the correct foods (in the appropriate portions) can give you more energy and help you handle those winter doldrums.
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Friday, January 8th, 2010
Remember when weight loss was simply about eating less and exercising more? These days, dieting is getting high tech. Every day, studies are released about the benefits of new electronic weight loss gadgets. But are they really necessary and will they actually help with weight loss?
A recent study from the British Medical Journal promotes the use of a small computer-linked food scale (called a Mandometer) to help with weight loss. The Mandometer was developed by researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. Dieters put their plates on this scale which weighs the remaining food as the meal is eaten. There is also a small screen which shows dieters the rate at which they are eating their food and the ideal rate at which they should be eating their food. When food is eaten too quickly, the computer tells the dieter to slow down.
The goal is to teach dieters to eat more slowly. As we have all heard time and again, it takes twenty minutes for the brain to tell the belly that it is full. Many overweight people eat too quickly; by the time the “fullness” signal gets to them, they have already eaten more food than necessary. Studies have shown that when you eat food more slowly, you feel full after fewer calories.
So does this new scale work? Doctors in England studied its use in obese children age nine to 17 years over an 18 month period. The study group was trained on using the Mandometer while the control group was not. Both groups were counseled to exercise one hour a day and follow a healthy diet.
After one year, the study group’s BMI had fallen an average of 2.1 points, around three times more thank the control group. Even better, this weight loss was maintained when measured 18 months later. At the end of the study, Mandometer patients were eating smaller servings at each meal and snack. They also ate their food more slowly than dieters in the control group.
I think the Mandometer sounds great. I constantly counsel my patients to eat more slowly. But it is not always easy; people don’t realize how quickly they are eating. A device that helps dieters eat more slowly can only help!
And the Mandometer is not the only new high-tech weight loss device. Other groups of doctors are developing wearable wireless sensors to monitor the overweight as they go about their daily lives. These sensors document how often the wearer exercises, how much food he eats, and the location in which he eats his food.
Why is it so important to have this information clearly delineated? Studies show that when dieters “self-report” what they have eaten and how much they have exercised, the data is usually not accurate. Dieters often underestimate portion sizes, forget some of the “little bites” they have eaten during the day, and exaggerate the calorie burn of their exercise. By using this sensor, the information becomes more accurate and more reliable.
Many of these devices are currently in development. Some of them contain video cameras or Bluetooth-enabled cell phones so users can take pictures of their meals, thereby documenting portion sizes. Dieters take pictures of their food before and after eating. The information can then be sent to a lab where a calorie count can be determined. In some instances, dieters can get immediate feedback about their calorie intake!
These devices also contain accelerometers that can measure the length and intensity of a workout. If the device senses a prolonged period of inactivity, the wearer can receive a text message telling them to get moving!
But do these devices actually lead to weight loss? It seems logical that they would but studies are still ongoing. I know that I would LOVE to try one of these sensors. I imagine that the cost of the device and the data interpretation would be high but I think the results would be invaluable.
The bottom line is that most dieters underestimate the number of calories they eat each day and overestimate the calorie burn of their exercise sessions. A gadget to accurately gauge this information should help set the record straight. I believe that if these sensors become widely available, weight loss would become that much easier.
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
We are hard-wired to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods. Studies show that these unhealthy treats activate our brains’ pleasure zones, prompting us to continue to seek them out. Could fatty, sugary foods be as addictive as drugs and alcohol?
Brain studies prove that it is harder for some people to resist these unhealthy treats. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain associated with pleasure and reward, seems to be the main culprit. If the brain dopamine system is not functioning properly, people could be more at risk for overeating. Subtle variations in the function of these paths may explain why some people are better able to resist unhealthy food.
How could dopamine cause food addiction? When you eat a food that contains fat and sugar, your brain’s dopamine path is activated, causing you to feel pleasure. You begin to associate these foods with pleasure, prompting you to crave them, whether consciously or subconsciously. You may not even realize that is why you are grabbing a certain snack!
This explains why we automatically reach for ‘comfort food’ when we are upset. Our bodies innately know that it will make us feel better. Break up with your boyfriend? Eat a doughnut. Lose your job? Go for a hot fudge sundae. Science can now explain why we tend to use food as an emotional crutch.
Some compulsive eaters experience such a strong urge to eat that it begins to overshadow their desire to do anything else; it simply gets harder and harder to stay in control. In many senses, this is what drug and alcohol addicts experience. They know that they should stop but are unable to. And like a drug or alcohol addict, a compulsive eater puts his life at risk!
While it is unlikely that differing dopamine sensitivity is the entire cause of the obesity epidemic, it does give us all something to think about. Are we eating because we are hungry or because it makes us feel good? If we are eating because it makes us feel good, perhaps we can turn to other activities that also make us feel good, like exercise or playing with our children. Simply identifying the reasons we eat certain foods can help us to make smarter choices. In a sense, we need to retrain our brains; we need to disrupt the connection between eating fatty, sugary foods and pleasure and reestablish the connection between healthier activities and pleasure. So go for a bicycle ride- it will make you feel better!
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