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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / July 2008How much to eat and why
Diabetes. 2008 Jul;57(7):1768-73. Neurophysiological pathways to obesity: below awareness and beyond individual control. A global obesity epidemic is occurring simultaneously with ongoing increases in the availability and salience of food in the environment. Obesity is increasing across all socioeconomic groups and educational levels and occurs even among individuals with the highest levels of education and expertise in nutrition and related fields. Given these circumstances, it is plausible that excessive food consumption occurs in ways that defy personal insight or are below individual awareness. The current food environment stimulates automatic reflexive responses that enhance the desire to eat and increase caloric intake, making it exceedingly difficult for individuals to resist, especially because they may not be aware of these influences. This article identifies 10 neurophysiological pathways that can lead people to make food choices subconsciously or, in some cases, automatically. These pathways include reflexive and uncontrollable neurohormonal responses to food images, cues, and smells; mirror neurons that cause people to imitate the eating behavior of others without awareness; and limited cognitive capacity to make informed decisions about food. Given that people have limited ability to shape the food environment individually and no ability to control automatic responses to food-related cues that are unconsciously perceived, it is incumbent upon society as a whole to regulate the food environment, including the number and types of food-related cues, portion sizes, food availability, and food advertising. PMID: 18586908 It is often assumed that people make decisions about food and eating in rational conscious ways. However, if this were so, the obesity epidemic would not be happening. People overconsume in response to environmental cues and they lack insight into the extent to which their food choices and eating behaviors are being manipulated by sophisticated advertising and marketing techniques. They also have a limited capacity to sort through the increasingly overwhelming mountains of information and claims about food choices and, as a result, too often choose default option foods high in fat and sugar that, when consumed routinely, lead to chronic diseases. Society needs to act as a whole to reshape the environment to improve the quality and quantity of food we obtain, since the present environment makes it too difficult for most people to do by themselves. Regulations addressing food cues, food availability, portion sizes, and advertising are needed. hth Gys >Given that people have limited ability to >shape the food environment individually and no ability to control automatic >responses to food-related cues that are unconsciously perceived, it is >incumbent upon society as a whole to regulate the food environment, >including the number and types of food-related cues, portion sizes, food >availability, and food advertising. I thought 1984 was a quarter of a century ago; this author would like it to be next year. Soylent Red anyone? Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. -- Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. Blog http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com DLife column http://tinyurl.com/5v74xr http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (The Taj Mahal) > I thought 1984 was a quarter of a century ago; this author > would like it to be next year. > > Soylent Red anyone? Hi Alan, I too like to think that I'm completely in charge of what I put in my mouth, but is that true....I'm not sure.The hypothesis that there is something beyond my consious control does not sound unfamiliar for me.... Call it "fall of the wagon" , "irresistable carb craving" , "weight loss stall".... Gys >> I thought 1984 was a quarter of a century ago; this author >> would like it to be next year. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Gys I don't deny the human urges; my concern was "it is incumbent upon society as a whole to regulate the food environment, including the number and types of food-related cues, portion sizes, food availability, and food advertising." "Society as a whole" is generally presumed to be the government of the day; at least it is by politicians. I get nervous when government get into that field. Think about it; if our governments decided to legislate nutrition we might all be legally required to eat to the USDA guidelines. I'm still ploughing through Taubes book; it was US government enquiries (McGovern and others) that are partly to blame for the thirty years of low-fat dogma that we are still struggling to refute now. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. -- Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. Blog http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com DLife column http://tinyurl.com/5v74xr http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (The Taj Mahal) >Diabetes. 2008 Jul;57(7):1768-73. ><snip> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >behavior of others without awareness; and limited cognitive capacity to make >informed decisions about food. I think they're forgetting insulin resistance and carb hunger. ><snip> People overconsume in response to environmental cues >and they lack insight into the extent to which their food choices and eating [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >choices and, as a result, too often choose default option foods high in fat >and sugar that, when consumed routinely, lead to chronic diseases. High carb, particularly HFCS, would be my suspects. But even here, where HFCS isn't so much of a problem, most low fat foods are stuffed with fast-carb fillers. Losing the high fat fear factor would be useful. >Society >needs to act as a whole to reshape the environment to improve the quality >and quantity of food we obtain, since the present environment makes it too >difficult for most people to do by themselves. Regulations addressing food >cues, food availability, portion sizes, and advertising are needed. Quality, I'd agree with. I don't see the point in more regulations... Dumping the food pyramid would be a good step, IMO. Nicky. T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid D&E, 100ug thyroxine Last A1c 5.4% BMI 25 >>Diabetes. 2008 Jul;57(7):1768-73. >><snip> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >I think they're forgetting insulin resistance and carb hunger. carbs good, fat bad, you need to go in for regrooving >><snip> People overconsume in response to environmental cues >>and they lack insight into the extent to which their food choices and eating [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >with fast-carb fillers. Losing the high fat fear factor would be >useful. YES!!! Strange how all these phsyiological dietary problems suddenly mushroomed around the time of onset of the Healthy High Carb Low Fat Diet, whatever the form of the (usually fast) carbs. >>Society >>needs to act as a whole to reshape the environment to improve the quality [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >Quality, I'd agree with. I don't see the point in more regulations... >Dumping the food pyramid would be a good step, IMO. Or turning it upside down a la Harvard <snip> > I think they're forgetting insulin resistance and carb hunger. <snip> > High carb, particularly HFCS, would be my suspects. But even here, > where HFCS isn't so much of a problem, most low fat foods are stuffed > with fast-carb fillers. Losing the high fat fear factor would be useful. <snip> > Quality, I'd agree with. I don't see the point in more regulations... > Dumping the food pyramid would be a good step, IMO. Hi Nicky, their hypothesis is : T2 is mainly caused by overconsumption, the overconsumption is caused by our trifty genes: evolution equipped us with the urge to eat whenever food is available, which now becomes less productive because there is too much of it around. They argue that the citation of the first law of thermodynamics and the advice to eat less is unhelpfull.They obsereve that there are even obese endocrinologists and smoking lung surgeons :( So insulin resistance and carb hunger are the consequence of too much fat and too much adipocyte signalling.High Carb Fructose is consumed because we are forced to do so by our genes.They don't propose to regulate, they want to go even a step further: they want to manipulate... They reason that if our gatherer-hunter genes force us too eat whenever food is available that it is the environmet that must be changed.I have seen a few projects already: no more elevators, more walking opportunities, no food commercials, parties where they do football instead of a barbecue, tax on chips, regulation of the food industry to prevent production of too high density foods etc, etc.For me this does not sound unfamiliar.When I have gained too much weight I throw away all cookies in my house, replace them with vegetables, I dream up excuses for not going to birthday parties, I stay away from the malls.Change the environment.I hate it to stare at the nuts, the french cheese and the beer for an hour or two so I don't go to that sort of parties.YMMV.I just saw an article where a group of obese people on a diet were followed.The researchers found that in weekends the group managed to ingest the fat and energy requirerement for a whole week...I recognise that.I can easily gain back all the weight I lost in a whole week in just the next weekend. Gys ..... > their hypothesis is : T2 is mainly caused by overconsumption, the > overconsumption is caused by our trifty genes: evolution equipped us with > the urge to eat whenever food is available, which now becomes less > productive because there is too much of it around. There has never been a famine in the United States. The only famine I recall in Europe during the past few hundred years was the Irish potato famine. Even among the poor, in the United States at least, quality, not quantity, has been the big problem since poor people here generally eat a cheap, starch-based diet. Obesity began increasing about 25 years ago and it wasn't because we suddenly had food available after centuries of famine or low food availability and our thrifty genes got revved up. >..... >> their hypothesis is : T2 is mainly caused by overconsumption, the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >recall in Europe during the past few hundred years was the Irish potato >famine. You don't consider the Ukraine as part of Europe? http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/famine.html > Even among the poor, in the United States at least, quality, >not quantity, has been the big problem since poor people here generally >eat a cheap, starch-based diet. Obesity began increasing about 25 years >ago and it wasn't because we suddenly had food available after centuries >of famine or low food availability and our thrifty genes got revved up. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. -- Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. Blog http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com DLife column http://tinyurl.com/5v74xr http://loraltravel.blogspot.com (The Taj Mahal) >..... >> their hypothesis is : T2 is mainly caused by overconsumption, the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >recall in Europe during the past few hundred years was the Irish potato >famine. What proportion of your immigrants arrived from Ireland - or indeed from some of the Eastern European countries where the poor have lived in near-famine conditions for a very long time? Then there's self-imposed famine - young women starving themselves in the interest of being thin. My own mother put on exactly 2lb during the course of my pregnancy, because she didn't realise she was pregnant until the last semester! My gran was one of those who encountered the Irish potato famine. Epigenetics is a very interesting area. Nicky. T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid D&E, 100ug thyroxine Last A1c 5.4% BMI 25 > There has never been a famine in the United States. The only famine I > recall in Europe during the past few hundred years was the Irish potato > famine. Even among the poor, in the United States at least, quality, > not quantity, has been the big problem since poor people here generally > eat a cheap, starch-based diet. I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now Utah. On the journey to the Salt Lake Valley, and even for a while after they settled there, food was often scarce, and very hard work was necessary to continue and survive. There were many who died along the way. I'm probably here only because my ancestors had the "thrifty gene" which allowed them to survive while their peers were dropping dead from starvation. I suppose there's a loophole here, by which you can dismiss this as a refutation of your claim that "There has never been a famine in the United States." The United States was a lot smaller, then, and those who suffered this famine did so outside the borders of what then constituted the United States.  SignatureOur enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. -- Remove "HatesSpam" and ".invalid" from email address to contact me. > I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, > at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now > Utah. On the journey to the Salt Lake Valley, and even for a while > after they settled there, food was often scarce, and very hard work was > necessary to continue and survive. There were many who died along the > way. Not to disparage your ancestors in any way, but that isn't a famine in my understanding. It is a failure to provide or obtain adequate provisions. My 2c is that famines only happen to established communities. >> I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, >> at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > My 2c is that famines only happen to established communities. ok, so, what about DEVELOPING communities who haven't had enough time to establish themselves in their new environment???? going hungry without food indicates famine to me :) Signaturekate type 1 since 1987 www.diabetic-chat.org www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/newly%20diagnosed.html > going hungry without food indicates famine to me Either that, or else medical advice from a certain religious hypocrite who poses as a physician. SignatureOur enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. -- Remove "HatesSpam" and ".invalid" from email address to contact me. >> going hungry without food indicates famine to me > > Either that, or else medical advice from a certain religious hypocrite > who poses as a physician. bwha ha ha ha that too :) Signaturekate type 1 since 1987 www.diabetic-chat.org www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/newly%20diagnosed.html > ok, so, what about DEVELOPING communities who haven't had enough time to > establish themselves in their new environment???? WTF are you drinking? What new environment? > going hungry without > food indicates famine to me :) Yes, failure of established food supplies is what I call famine as can happen in a developing country, which basically have established food supplies. >> ok, so, what about DEVELOPING communities who haven't had enough time to >> establish themselves in their new environment???? > > WTF are you drinking? ahh, terry, my dear friend and such a gentleman :) Signaturekate type 1 since 1987 www.diabetic-chat.org www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/newly%20diagnosed.html >>> I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, >>> at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >establish themselves in their new environment???? going hungry without >food indicates famine to me :) nope, it falls under the category he described above. SignatureMåck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/ http://www.pandora.com enter "Jason & Demarco" http://www.ratbags.com/dechunging/ "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o ô) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." ....Bilbo Baggins DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message from me offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it. If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... . In alt.support.diabetes Tiger_Lily <me@privacy.net> wrote: : >> I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, : >> at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] : establish themselves in their new environment???? going hungry without : food indicates famine to me :) What about all thoses who "cross the great plains(nd mountains) in covered wagons and often had food run out. Many starved. Kind of a travelling famine, I guess. Wendy > > I'm a descendant of the Mormon Pioneers, who were driven out of what, > > at the time, constituted the United States, and settled in what is now [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > My 2c is that famines only happen to established communities. The Mormons of that time period most certainly were an "established community", by any rational definition of that term. Before we were driven out of the United States, we had settled into several areas, and built towns and cities. When we were driven from one place, we'd settle in another and build a new town, before being driven out again. It was only the intolerance and unwillingness of our non-LDS neighbors to allow us to live and practice our religion in peace that forced us to abandon one town after another, and eventually to flee entirely from the country as it then existed. In any event, having looked up the word "Famine" in a few different dictionaries, as well as the Wikipedia, I find no support for your contention that an "established community" has anything at all to do with the meaning of the word. SignatureOur enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. -- Remove "HatesSpam" and ".invalid" from email address to contact me. . >> Not to disparage your ancestors in any way, but that isn't a famine in my >> understanding. It is a failure to provide or obtain adequate provisions. 8<----snip > In any event, having looked up the word "Famine" in a few different > dictionaries, as well as the Wikipedia, I find no support for your > contention that an "established community" has anything at all to do > with the meaning of the word. ============ Amen, brother. Sorry couldn't resist. Mrs. H in Zion :)) > In any event, having looked up the word "Famine" in a few different >dictionaries, as well as the Wikipedia, I find no support for your >contention that an "established community" has anything at all to do >with the meaning of the word. Particularly not when we're discussing the effect of maternal starvation, or famine during grandparents' puberty, on a fetus and how it sets it up for diabetes in later life. Nicky. T2 dx 05/04 + underactive thyroid D&E, 100ug thyroxine Last A1c 5.4% BMI 25 > There has never been a famine in the United States. The only famine I > recall in Europe during the past few hundred years was the Irish potato > famine. Not a few hundred years but a few thousand years :) Gys >Diabetes. 2008 Jul;57(7):1768-73. > > Neurophysiological pathways to obesity: below awareness and beyond >individual control. < snip> Meanwhile, in other news http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7525347.stm |
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