I continue to be fascinated with the compelling research about how our brain changes when we overeat and then become accustomed to overeating. This particular research is especially interesting because it also addresses how overeating affects children at risk of obesity.
"What that suggests, the researchers said, is that the caudate response decreases as a result of overeating through the lifespan.
"The decrease in caudate response doesn't precede weight gain, it follows it," Small said. "That suggests the decreased caudate response is a consequence, rather than a cause, of overeating."
"One of the primary culprits behind obesity, she said, is the constant availability of "excessively rewarding food" that, when eaten often, may alter the brain's reward system.
"It's increasingly being recognized that the brain itself plays a fundamental role in obesity and overeating," Volkow said."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_106525.html
This is amazing work done by a talented group of passionate animators here in Winston-Salem, NC- Out of Our Minds Animation Studios. Please check it out and pass it on!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SZjtmjnnpU
"Food cravings are a complex mix of physiological, psychological, environmental and hormonal aspects," Heller added.
Maybe visualizing yourself eating a specific food allows you to become more mindful and intentional when you actually eat it!
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_106480.html
Remaining committed to taking care of yourself through the Holiday Crazies can help you remain mindful in your eating and prevent overeating.
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/516?utm_source=DailyInsight&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=DailyInsight
"This is likely because young people's eating patterns are influenced by many complex factors, and the family environment plays only a partial role. More attention should be given to the influence of the other players on children's eating patterns such as that of schools, the local food environment and peer influence, government guidelines and policies that regulate school meals, and the broader food environment that is influenced by food production, distribution and advertising." He added, "Parents need to be better empowered to be good role models and help their children eat a healthy diet."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208142257.htm
"A recent study found that 95% of non-eating disordered women overestimate the size of their hips by 16% and their waists by 25%, yet the same women were able to correctly estimate the width of a box!!!"
http://www.mybodygallery.com/
"Vitamin D boosts immunity by stimulating production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial protein that serves as a "natural antibiotic" in the body, says Michael Zasloff, a professor of surgery and pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
But so far studies looking directly at whether higher vitamin D levels help prevent upper respiratory infections have had mixed results."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704156304576003531437073192.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
If you realize that you are eating because you are feeling stressed out, allowing yourself a few minutes to take a deep breath can break the cycle of overeating.
"rapid breathing is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. It's part of the "fight or flight" response — the part activated by stress.
In contrast, slow, deep breathing actually stimulates the opposing parasympathetic reaction — the one that calms us down"
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131734718/just-breathe-body-has-a-built-in-stress-reliever&sc=fb&cc=fp
"In a new study, children who ate the most vegetables and fruits had significantly healthier arteries as adults than children who ate the fewest. Here are 10 tips to encourage your children to eat more vegetables and fruits. "
- Make fruit and vegetable shopping fun!
- Involve kids in meal prep.
- Be a role model
- Create fun snacks
- Give kids choices — within limits
- Eat together as a family
- Expect pushback
- Grow it
- Covert operations
- Be patient
http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1215
"An advisory committee to the FDA will consider on Friday a request by a pharmaceutical company, to significantly lower how obese someone must be to qualify for surgery using the company’s Lap-Band device, which restricts intake to the stomach.
... still leaves some people uneasy, in part because of side effects and failure rates. In addition, long-term weight reduction is hard to maintain.
“You’re talking about millions and millions of people who would meet these criteria,” said Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. “Let’s make sure by the most rigorous research that this is safe and effective.”
“It would be kind of ironic if people have access to surgery and not medical therapies, where they can go from Weight Watchers to surgery and have nothing in-between,” said Dr. Louis J. Aronne, an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medical College."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/business/02obese.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=a25&adxnnlx=1291295148-RvWZEvjiccKgSP3FbEl/5A
"These results suggest that dieting not only increases stress, making successful dieting more difficult, but that it may actually 'reprogram' how the brain responds to future stress and emotional drives for food," said study co-author Tracy Bale of the University of Pennsylvania, in a news release."
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-yo-yo-diet-20101130,0,4227680.story
From the very first client that I saw when I started to practice in 1986, there has been an ongoing conversation in my office about the possibility of being "addicted" to certain foods, primarily foods high in sugar. This conversation continues, but is becoming louder in the scientific community. This article is a must read if you sometimes feel as if you are addicted to food.
"DiLeone, the Yale researcher, says it's still not clear how far the food-drug comparison holds up, especially in people.
"There's an ongoing argument in my field whether food is addictive or not," he says. "But whether it's addictive or not, there's probably components that are similar to addiction."
That means it makes sense to focus on eating behavior early in life, when the brain is adapting to a particular environment. It also probably makes sense to take approaches used to treat addiction and adapt them to overeating," DiLeone says."
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/01/131698228/overeating-like-drug-use-rewards-and-alters-brain?sc=fb&cc=fp
Latest report recommends taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements with caution: "The 14-member expert committee was convened by the Institute of Medicine, an independent nonprofit scientific body, at the request of the United States and Canadian governments. It was asked to examine the available data — nearly 1,000 publications — to determine how much vitamin D and calcium people were getting, how much was needed for optimal health and how much was too much. "
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/30vitamin.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateema2
In reaction to pediatric obesity, my concern is that we have become unbalanced in the way we talk to our children about what they eat and their bodies. There is no denying that pediatric obesity is a very real problem. However, it is also becoming very clear that eating disorders in our children is also a real problem. "Among children younger than 12 with eating disorders, hospitalizations surged 119 percent between 1999 and 2006. That's according to government data contained in an American Academy of Pediatrics report released online Monday."
Learning how to talk to your children about what, and how much, they eat can be a challenging task, especially if you have your own eating issues and concerns. As a parent, it is your responsibility to provide your children with a variety of healthy foods with SOME treats, encourage and model an active lifestyle, and to limit the time your child spends in front of the computer and television. It is also your responsibility to educate yourself about what you can do to protect your child from developing an eating disorder. However well intended and loving you are re: your child's weight, please be aware of going too far in controlling your child's eating and weight. Powerful messages from our culture at large and your child's own social circle contributes to your child's perceptions as well. Educate yourself about the warning signs of an eating disorder and seek professional help sooner rather than later. Please see the resources section of my website for more information.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gTIKgGZ4OnwM1A4w6xa4BEG_Pjcw?docId=4d513ceeeef44c9ea9bc5163adacf708
A large scale study supports the recommendation to include more protein in your diet if you want to manage your weight. I continue to caution against simplifying these types of recommendations. Where the protein comes from will continue to make a big difference in supporting your health. Plant-based proteins, such as nuts, seeds, soybeans, etc. have additional health supportive components. The most powerful piece of this puzzle continues to be the level of satiety we all feel when we include protein in our meals and snacks. The feeling of satisfaction that your body experiences prevents overeating and the cravings that can result in overeating. Include smart protein choices in every meal and snack if possible!!
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/209291.php
"the richest Americans can afford to buy berries out of season at Whole Foods—the upscale grocery chain that recently reported a 58 percent increase in its quarterly profits—while the food insecure often eat what they can: highly caloric, mass-produced foods like pizza and packaged cakes that fill them up quickly. "
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/22/what-food-says-about-class-in-america.html#
