Introduction: New NIH Study A new study reported recently by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers can change the way we think about the desire to eat fatty and sugary foods and exercise. These foods are known to cause dopamine release and be part of what we call eating for pleasure or hedonic eating [...]
Food Evolution vs. Brain Evolution: Fast vs. Not Much Our brains pay attention to the foods that are the most likely to be highly dense, high calorie, and not necessarily what we want to be eating. According to a recent scientific study, humans more accurately recall high-calorie locations than low-calorie foods [1] — the conclusions [...]
This is the continuation of Overeating and Obesity 2021 Update on What We Know and What Medicine-Surgery Can Do. Medications or Surgery for Obesity – Pharmacological Treatment of Food Addiction, Overeating, and Obesity As Kelly Brownell and I described in our Oxford University Press book on Food Addiction [20], this behavioral addiction has a great [...]
Part 1 – Could Our Unhealthy Eating Cause Brain Changes, Neuroinflammation, and Obesity? Yes In July of 2007, Duke’s Kelly Brownell and I hosted the first meeting of its kind at Yale University. This meeting became known as the Historic Yale Conference on Food and Addiction [1]. Interested in whether and how highly palatable, manufactured, [...]
An important recent study found a possible link between bariatric surgery and eating disorders and that overemphasis on body shape and weight in post-bariatric surgery patients led to eating disorders, depression, and disability. The researchers sought to determine if post-bariatric surgery patients who struggled with greater loss of control in eating and overemphasis on weight/shape [...]
Many people equate body image with self-esteem. To them, thinner means better, and weight gain is associated with a negative self-perception. Challenging our definition of a “good” body is a crucial step towards a healthier attitude. Here are some ways to achieve that: #1 Get the skinny on happiness Think skinny women are happier? This [...]
“Why food?” a patient once asked. “Why can’t I comfort myself with bubble baths?” Food is connected with our first experience of comfort. As babies, we’re held in loving, safe arms while being fed. Our minds learn to connect feeding with soothing. Many studies confirm that we associate eating with a sense of comfort and [...]
Obesity presents a leading public health concern in not just the U.S. but around the world. As several drugs supporting weight loss became associated with severe repercussions for its users, new pharmaceuticals for weight management are desperately needed. A recent study was the first to evaluate the efficacy and safety of semaglutide, the glucagon-like peptide-1 [...]
Recently a caller to my weekly radio show asked about willpower. After dieting all week, she “completely lost control” at a Greek restaurant. She asked how to increase her willpower. Bingeing, overeating or difficulty sticking to a healthy eating plan is not a matter of willpower. Here’s how to take back control: #1 Stop Dieting [...]
Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Obesity has been on the rise in the USA and throughout the world. Officially recognized as an epidemic, obesity is also linked to the early onset and increased number of cases of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. As a result of the epidemic, both obesity [...]