There was once a time when the obese were the minority in the general population. In spite of all the calories consumed, an adult's average weight remained significantly steady. That is, until about the 1980s when things began to change.
In a culture that now encourages more eating out and larger portions, Americans are becoming heavier. They eat and eat, unable to satisfy their unquenchable cravings. After watching an episode of the Oprah Winfrey show featuring Dr. Phil discussing obesity, Dr. David A. Kessler authored, The End of Overeating, a book designed to assist Americans to understand why they have, as well as, offer insight as to what we should know in order to curb an insatiable appetite.
Overeating isn't only the problem of those who are overweight. There is strong evidence that weight gain is primarily due to overeating (6, 7). However, even for those who are thin, there is an inner battle to resist an overpowering need to eat. Many professionals believe that lack of willpower is the reason behind weight gain, but according to Dr. Kessler, we don't understand that certain foods only make us want more.
It was once proposed that body energy regulation was controlled by homeostasis, along with the brain's command center, including the hypothalmus, which regulates our eating. Conversely, it is the body's reward center that encourages us to search for gratification, as in sex or in food. Through research, scientists found that there are palatable foods such as sugar, salt and fat, that stimulate the brain. Opioids are endorphorphines produced in the brain that arouses the reward center in the same manner as drugs such as heroin and morphine. Palatable foods incite the opioids, which stimulate the appetite and encourages you to keep eating them.
In addition to eating being motivated by chemicals generated in our bodies, visual cues can be associated with wanting more. The pursuit to secure the incentive becomes more intense when these cues are present - we see it, we want it, we get it, then we want it even more.
