Hunger Triggers Part 2: The Couch Potato Effect: how TV makes us overeat

This is part 2 of 4, of my answers for the April, 2010 Allure Magazine article on "Hunger Triggers."

Scenario #2
The Couch Potato Effect - How TV Makes Us Overeat

It is pretty obvious to most people that the mere sight or smell of food can trigger the desire to eat. But new research shows that SOME people are more prone to “visual cues” to eat, than other people.

There is a great article on this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2712682/
This study shows that the sight of food triggers, or activates, a positive memory of the “reward” one feels when eating, and this drives up the appetite. This increased appetite can actually be seen on a type of brain scan called a functional MRI. But the study shows something else: there *is* a difference between how “naturally thin” people respond to the sight of food, compared with people who are prone to becoming overweight. It looks like our "drive to eat" might be wired differently, based partly on our genetics - on our brains! Some people might get "false signals" about when to eat, and when to not eat.

The study looked at forty people, about half naturally slim, and half who were overweight, and used a functional MRI to see how their brains responded to food. They looked at two different scenarios: what happened when each group was “fasted” overnight, and what happened when they were “overfed.” They found some really interesting results. The naturally thin people after an overnight fast actually had a HIGHER food drive compared to the overweight group; the overweight had a somewhat sluggish morning food response.

But when the groups were overfed, with more calories than they needed, the “naturally thin” stopped craving food. The overweight group, on the other hand, even after being fed too many calories, still had a high “food drive” - it’s as if their appetite does not shut off properly.

So what do we do with this information? If people are struggling with their weight, it is important for them to understand that their bodies and minds might be giving them “false signals” about when to eat, and when to stop eating. They may have to "force" themselves to eat breakfast, even if they don't feel like it. Studies show that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less, and are less likely to overeat later in the day. If people do not feel like eating breakfast, they should probably try to do so anyway, since this may help them reset their “appetite thermostat” to proper levels over time.

They also should be aware that their bodies and minds may not tell them when it is time to stop eating. This is REALLY important, because a lot of weight loss gurus tell people to just “stop when you feel full.” If you wait for your brain to tell you, and your brain is giving false signals, you will OVEREAT if you try to rely on your body’s signals.

In order to take control, you have to let you intellect take over; you have to be consciously aware of portion size and calories. Naturally thin people who counsel overweight people may not be aware of this problem, and can unfortunately give useless advice to “just listen to your body.” If your body is telling you to overeat, you’ll have to use your brain to override the abnormally high “eat” signals. It takes some work, but with planning and practice, it gets much easier over time.

It is also important to be aware of “visual cues” to eat, like the sight of food on tv, or on the counter, in the fridge, etc. I suggest that people remove as many “visual cues” as possible (hide the tempting food on the top shelf, double-bag the ice cream in the freezer so you can’t see it, walk away from the tv when food commercials come on, and take a different route so you don’t drive past your favorite donut shop.)

If you DO see tempting food, and feel it’s pull, quickly grab a sugar-free drink, some gum, Listerine breath strips, or sugar-free cough lozenges to keep your mouth busy, (and the food doesn’t taste as good after the Listerine or lozenges!)

For more information on "Hunger Triggers", go on to Part 3...