Scientists Seek Answers about the Problem of Emotional Eating

In theory, the process of shedding excess pounds should be easy. If one simply eats less and expends more energy through exercise and other activities, the unwanted weight should gradually begin to come off. The universal laws of physics dictate that this must be the case.

But anyone who has ever gone to bat in the battle of the bulge knows that it isn?t always that simple. Physical needs aside, human beings are enormously complex creatures who don?t always act in their own best interest. Decades of research have shown that hunger is not the only impulse that controls our eating patterns. Often, the food that we crave has more to do with psychology than biology.

One problem that many overweight people have to face before they can be successful in their weight loss efforts is the issue of emotional eating. Many of us have developed unhealthy eating habits that compel us to turn to food as a source of comfort or a coping mechanism, rather than just as a source of nutrition.

These detrimental eating patterns can be extremely difficult to overcome. In recent years, scientists the world over have made significant inroads into cracking the case of emotional eating. This week, we?ll survey some of the most significant recent research findings that have emerged from this field of study.

Study Shows Emotional Eaters to be at High Risk of Regaining Lost Weight

In some instances, people with emotional eating issues are able to overcome their impulses to binge on unhealthy foods and succeed in their weight loss efforts. However, a recent study conducted by scientists at the Miriam Hospital's Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center indicates that individuals with past histories of emotional eating patterns are especially prone to relapsing and regaining weight that they have worked hard to lose.

The study compared the eating habits of two groups of subjects. One group was comprised of people who reported that they tended to overeat in response to external events, such as parties, holidays, and other celebrations. The other group of people was comprised of experimental subjects who had past histories of emotional overeating.

Not only did the emotional eaters lose less weight in the course of the study?s diet component, but they also tended to regain more of the weight that they had lost in comparison to those in the ?external event overeaters? group. The authors concluded that the issue of emotional eating should play a central role in the development of future methods of treatment, prevention, and intervention for weight loss.

Inability to Discuss Emotions Found to be Linked to Binge Eating Disorder in Obese Women

A recent study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Research Center for Psychopathology at the Universit? Toulouse Le Mirail and the Department of Nutrition at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Strasbourg, France assessed the emotional root causes of overeating. The researchers sought to determine whether women who self-identified as emotional eaters often experienced troubling episodes that kicked off periods of overeating.

The results of the study indicated that many of the overweight women who were emotional overeaters also suffered from an emotional disorder known as alexithymia. This disorder is characterized by extreme difficulty in identifying, processing, understanding, and describing their emotional states.

The study results identified a very strong statistical correlation between alexithymia, emotional overeating, and binge eating. This finding prompted the researchers to conclude that treatment for emotional overeating and binge eating should also include screening and treatment for alexithymia.

When Emotional Eaters Ignore Their Cravings, Binges May Enter the Picture

The conventional wisdom on dieting holds that people looking to shed excess pounds should fight their cravings for treats, sweets, snacks, and comfort foods. It has long been believed that giving into one?s cravings can trigger a wave of overeating that could lead to even more weight gain.

However, according to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Cornell University, the reverse may actually be closer to the truth. When people who self-identify as emotional eaters ignore their food cravings for long periods of time, they are actually more likely to fall prey to binges. On the other hand, when they gave into their cravings, focusing on healthy food substitutions and moderate serving sizes, binges were often averted.

The researchers acknowledge that more investigation is needed, but they assert that these findings may offer new insight into the way that dieters are counseled to deal with their persistent food cravings.

If emotional eating is a roadblock in your path to a healthy weight, talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist to develop a personalized eating and behavior plan that will be effective. Please be sure to check back each week for the diet research news you need to succeed.

Scientists Debate the Safety and Efficacy of Fasting

Over the course of the last several decades, the public health consensus has been that fasting -- that is, going hours or days without food or other forms of nourishment -- is an unsafe practice that has no place in a healthy lifestyle. In fact, individuals who regularly engage in fasting have often been categorized as displaying disordered eating patterns.

However, historians and anthropologists tell us that humans have been fasting for thousands of years. Periods of abstinence from food are part of every major world religion, and the archaeological record suggests that these rituals date back into the time of our prehistoric ancestors.

A small group of scientists have begun to argue that today's "three square meals" mindset is probably a far cry from the on-again, off-again, feast-or-famine lifestyle that our prehistoric ancestors led. Taking a cue from this line of research, some groups of health-conscious mavericks have begun to implement periods of fasting as part of their regimen for weight loss and/or maintaining a healthy body weight.

This week, we'll dive into the thick of the ongoing scientific debate over the health and safety of fasting, taking a look at the result of three different studies that have tackled aspects of this controversy.

Study Suggests that Alternate-Day Fasting May Shrink Fat Cells

The idea of going completely without food makes most people uncomfortable. However, the findings of one recent study suggest that a partial fast every other day may deliver the same satisfying weight loss results as unbroken fasts.

The study, which was published in a recent issue of the journal of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, compared the effects of unbroken and alternate-day fasting in male mice. The mice that fasted every other day showed several specific results that may have positive implications for those seeking to lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight.

The alternate-day fasters lost fat under the skin, but not the special type of fat that is often found to be concentrated around the abdomen. Also, the alternate-day fasters appeared to have a measure of protection against long-term obesity and the development of Type II diabetes. Although there were some indications that the alternate-day fasting might help protect against other diseases, the researchers cautioned that further investigation in this area is necessary before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Restricted-Calorie Fasting May Reduce Obesity, Increase Life Span

Throughout the twentieth century, research demonstrated that mice who were fed very low-calorie diets often outlived their counterparts who were fed "normal" diets. However, the true significance of these findings remained unclear for decades.

In recent years, the connection between restricted-calorie diets, health, and longevity has begun to be further explored. One study conducted by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies pinpointed a genetic cause for this relationship.

The scientists used studies of a particular type of worm to unravel the complex relationship between calorie restriction and longevity. Specifically, the researchers identified the missing link in the relationship as glucagon, a pancreatic hormone that heightens the concentration of the blood sugar and helps to maintain the body's balance of energy.

When calories are restricted to 60% of the normal level, the genetic controls that oversee glucagon balance appear to be activated. However, the scientists underscore the importance of a balanced, vitamin-and-mineral rich diet in any attempt to restrict calories to longevity-boosting levels.

Hunger Response during Fasting More Complicated than Previously Thought

It seems obvious that going without food for an extended period of time causes hunger. But the body's response to sustained periods of fasting is much more complex than that. According to a study conducted by scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the neurological chain of events that regulate the experience of hunger during fasting involves an interaction between three hormones, two cell types, and a specific type of protein.

By identifying the precise sequence of reactions that cause and sustain the sense of hunger during fasting, the researchers have cracked part of the neurological code of the hunger response. In time, this could lead to the development of pharmaceutical treatments that could ease the pain of hunger during restricted-calorie diets designed to help patients overcome obesity.

Before incorporating fasting into your weight-loss regimen, consult with your physician or a licensed nutritionist. Check this space each week for the diet research news you need to make your weight loss journey a success.

Researchers Investigate the Mysteries of Appetite

The human appetite is a wondrous thing. The quest to sate its demands has been the source and inspiration for the hundreds of different cuisine traditions that have blossomed all around the world. The ceremonial feasts that play such a big part in our special occasions and our everyday experiences -- from breakfast in bed to the traditional Thanksgiving day spread -- all underscore the primacy of the human appetite in our lives.

But for dieters who are trying to shed excess pounds, the persistence of the appetite can be a frustrating obstacle. It often seems that the moment you start to restrict certain fattening or otherwise unhealthy foods, maddening cravings dominate your thoughts. Keeping calories to the recommended low can lead to a distracting day of tummy rumbles. The appetite is a stubborn creature of habit, and in the midst of our well-intentioned efforts to get healthy, it often seems to be conspiring against us.

Because mastering the appetite is a central part of weight loss success, scientists around the world are engaged in an ongoing research effort to crack the mysteries of hunger, cravings, and taste preferences. This week, we'll take a look at three recent studies that have delved into the confounding puzzle of the human appetite -- and yielded some surprising results.

Scientists Identify Key Appetite-Control Centers in Brain; New Obesity Treatment in the Works

For decades, researchers have debated whether nature or nurture exerted the strongest influence over the human appetite. Is it our brains or our environment that dictate our hunger and cravings?

Recently, scientists in the UK have made a breakthrough that may help solve this longstanding conundrum. According to a study conducted by researchers at University College and King's College, both in London, the basic activities that control the human appetite can be pinpointed within a very specific region of the brain.

Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers traced the activities of the hormone peptide YY in the brain. The scientists developed a nasal spray containing the substance that may be used as an anti-obesity drug.

The experimental subjects who were treated with the hormone peptide YY ate an average of 25% less than their counterparts who were given a placebo. Although more testing is needed to verify the safety and efficacy of the drug, the researchers say that this finding may offer hope in the global war against obesity.

For Many, Perception of Portion Size Plays a Major Role in Appetite

They say that some people have eyes that are bigger than their stomachs. According to Cornell University researcher Brian Wansink, this phenomenon may actually impact the regulation of our appetites.

In a recent experiment, Wansink and his research team sought to assess whether people's perception of portion size affected their appetites. To test this, the team created a special "bottomless" bowl of soup that contained a much greater quantity of food than it appeared to.

Sure enough, the experiment's results indicated that food consumption was influenced by the subjects' perception of serving size. The volunteers who ate soup from the special bottomless bowl consumed an average of 75% more food than did their counterparts who ate soup from normal bowls.

Wansink says that the findings reveal the importance of assessing our own sense of fullness when eating, rather than relying on visual cues such as the amount of food left on our plate. By eating mindfully and constantly reassessing our hunger, we can control our caloric intake with much greater precision.

Chewing Gum Found to be Effective as an Appetite Suppressant

For centuries, scientists have searched for substances and compounds that can help control the human appetite. In recent years, some of the appetite-suppressing drugs that were invented were later revealed to have disastrous health consequences.

The results of a recent study released by scientists at Glasgow's Caledonian University in Scotland indicated that a common household treat -- chewing gum -- may be a safe and effective appetite suppressant. Study participants who chewed a piece of gum in the afternoon reduced their caloric intake significantly.

Specifically, the gum-chewing participants ate far fewer sweet snacks than did their counterparts who did not chew gum. The researchers described the results as preliminary, but agreed that this might be a helpful tool for dieters seeking to reduce their food intake.

Talk to your doctor or a licensed nutritionist to devise an appetite-control plan that will work for you. Be sure to check back each week for the diet and weight loss news you need to succeed!

Looking at the Role of Behavior in Successful Weight Loss

From a scientific point of view, at least, weight loss is a simple proposition. If you take in fewer calories than you expend in exercise and other daily activities, weight loss will result. It's simple physics, these rational types will argue.

"Easier said than done," say the millions of obese and overweight men, women, and children who have fought the good fight against their expanding waistlines -- and lost. Although the physical act of losing weight may be as simple as eating less and exercising more, we all have very strong social, mental, emotional, and cultural associations that make the process of implementing significant and lasting changes in our eating patterns extremely difficult.

To those who have engaged in extended battles with excess weight, it should come as no surprise that scientists are now documenting the ways that human behavior can impact weight loss. A number of recent studies have sought to identify and analyze the behavior patterns of those people whose diet efforts have succeeded. This week, we'll take a look at the findings that have emerged as researchers seek to better understand the role of behavior in weight loss.

New Model of 'Eating Competence' May Help Weight Loss Efforts

For decades, dieters have been force-fed a view of food that is unhealthy, according to researcher Barbara Lohse, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. People trying to lose weight have been encouraged to wallow in a sense of food deprivation. Many popular diets counsel their followers to think of food as fuel, rather than a source of pleasure.

However, this view of food may prove to be unhealthy in the long-term, spurring binges, cyclic weight gain, and yo-yo dieting, none of which are consistent with optimal health and weight management. The research team led by Dr. Lohse recently directed a study that sought to determine whether a more well-rounded view of eating and food would help or hinder study participants' weight loss efforts.

According to the study, food competence is defined as having positive, flexible, and comfortable eating habits. People with food competence are confident in their ability to choose nutritional foods, to eat when, what, and how much they want to, and to approach their food with discipline and self-control.

The study demonstrated that those who scored higher on the food competence scale were less likely to be overweight, have high cholesterol, or to be at high risk for heart disease. Highly food-competent individuals were also more likely to have a more nutritionally-balanced pattern of food consumption.

The researchers concluded that the food competence model should be considered as a replacement for the deprivation-based "food is fuel" model that is now commonly pushed by many popular diets.

Researchers Analyze the Behaviors of Successful Dieters

Statistics say that major weight loss is often impossible to achieve and maintain, but there is a small group of elite dieters out there who have beaten the odds and gone on to lose a hundred pounds or more. A study conducted by a team at the College of Medicine Metabolic Research Group recently sought to pinpoint and analyze the behavioral techniques of these superstar dieters.

According to the findings of the study, the first twelve weeks of any weight loss effort usually determine the success of the long-term outcome. If a dieter can stick to an intensive, highly restrictive diet regimen for twelve weeks, they will exponentially increase their chances of going on to lose all of their excess weight.

In the long-term, most of the successful dieters reported that improved quality of life post-weight loss provided the motivation they needed to maintain their dietary changes. The researchers concluded that supervised intervention during the first phase of a major weight loss effort may increase the chances of success.

The Behavioral Components of Successful Weight Loss are Unique, Study Says

There is a widespread belief that overweight people can shed excess pounds by adopting the eating patterns and behaviors of their thinner counterparts. People who are desperate to lose weight are often counseled to take on the behaviors of those who have already won the weight loss battle.

However, this seemingly harmless form of diet mimicry may be doing more harm than good, according to Queensland University of Technology behavioral scientist Neil King. King led a recent research effort to identify behavioral patterns in successful weight loss.

The study, conducted by investigators at the University's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, found that there is a great deal of variation in each individual's response to weight loss. Each person deals with their own unique biological, physiological, and psychological barriers to the weight loss process. As such, issuing a single standard as the universal prescription for successful weight loss is unrealistic.

The researchers concluded that their findings emphasize the need for individualized treatment of obese and overweight patients. The standard "one-size-fits-all" approach is not specific enough to give people who are struggling with their weight the kind of personalized support that they need.

If you want to shape your habits to help reach your weight loss goals faster, talk to your doctor, a licensed therapist, or another helping professional with a track record of expertise in this area. And please be sure to check back each week for more of the diet and fitness news you need.