Islander
03-14-11, 10:48 AM
Written by Jon Barron at The Baseline of Health Foundation
March 14, 2011
Ever wonder why it's so difficult to resist eating fattening food? We all know on an intellectual level the harmful effects it has on our bodies, yet for many people, cravings frequently outweigh common sense. Now, it seems there may be some scientific evidence behind this behavior.
In a study led by the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, Dr. Paul Kenny and his colleagues divided rats into three groups and then headed to the grocery store. "We basically bought all of the stuff that people really like -- Ding-Dongs, cheesecake, bacon, sausage, [chocolate frosting, pound cake] -- the stuff that you enjoy, but you really shouldn't eat too often," he said. They also bought healthy food. Each group of rats followed a different diet for 40 days. The rats in the first group ate healthy, regular rat food only. In the second group, the rats got healthy rat food plus an hour of access daily to junk food. The third group had unlimited access to both health food and junk -- like most humans do.
The rats that had access to the treats only an hour a day managed to cram most of their eating into that blissful hour, eschewing the rat food the rest of the time. Meanwhile, the third group of rats -- those who had round-the-clock access to treats -- quickly turned obese and demonstrated a strong preference for Ding Dongs and cheesecake and the like. But their food preferences weren't the only change the rats experienced.
The researchers found that the brain circuitry in the junk-food-gorging rats actually changed. The more high-fat treats the rats ate, the more they craved treats in the future -- the more treats it took on subsequent feedings for them to experience satisfaction. In other words, they developed "tolerance," just the way junkies and alcoholics do, needing more and more of the "junk-food substance" in order to achieve a pleasure "rush."
"It was quite profound," says study author Paul Kenny. "The reward-response effects in the junk-food rats were very similar to what we see with animals that use cocaine and heroin." The response became even more pronounced as the rats gained more weight. The fatty treats also seemed to lower levels of a dopamine receptor in the brain of the rats.
In humans, lowered levels of dopamine receptors lead to increased pleasure-seeking behavior. Under normal conditions, dopamine deprivation excites normal desire or motivation, but in the case of the rats, eating junk foods made the deprivation severe enough to drive the mild desire to pathological levels.
Perhaps the most shocking discovery of all, though, was the finding that the addicted rats absolutely refused regular food, even after their treats were taken away. They chose to starve rather than return to rat kibble. "They actually voluntarily starved themselves," Kenny said.
So, how do you break the cycle if you've found yourself addicted to fatty foods?
Realizing it could be an addiction is the first step. Treat the situation as you would if you were helping a friend or family member cope with an addiction to another substance. Remove all the "offending" foods from your home. Find alternatives that "trick" you into feeling satisfied. Try fruit for sweet cravings. Eat raisin bread instead of sweet breads and danishes. Find other other activities that keep you busy and enlist the help of friends and family to help get you through your weak moments. Just like any addiction or bad habit, the longer you've done it the more difficult it can be to change your behavior. Keep that in mind, and don't beat yourself up if you temporarily fall of the wagon.
Material originally published at www.jonbarron.org. Copyright © 1999-2011. Baseline of Health® Foundation Used by permission of the Baseline of Health® Foundation. All rights reserved worldwide.
For more about this study, click here (http://go.emaildir2.com/l/a/d5i/m/a2w/36/zqt/click.emaildirect).
March 14, 2011
Ever wonder why it's so difficult to resist eating fattening food? We all know on an intellectual level the harmful effects it has on our bodies, yet for many people, cravings frequently outweigh common sense. Now, it seems there may be some scientific evidence behind this behavior.
In a study led by the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, Dr. Paul Kenny and his colleagues divided rats into three groups and then headed to the grocery store. "We basically bought all of the stuff that people really like -- Ding-Dongs, cheesecake, bacon, sausage, [chocolate frosting, pound cake] -- the stuff that you enjoy, but you really shouldn't eat too often," he said. They also bought healthy food. Each group of rats followed a different diet for 40 days. The rats in the first group ate healthy, regular rat food only. In the second group, the rats got healthy rat food plus an hour of access daily to junk food. The third group had unlimited access to both health food and junk -- like most humans do.
The rats that had access to the treats only an hour a day managed to cram most of their eating into that blissful hour, eschewing the rat food the rest of the time. Meanwhile, the third group of rats -- those who had round-the-clock access to treats -- quickly turned obese and demonstrated a strong preference for Ding Dongs and cheesecake and the like. But their food preferences weren't the only change the rats experienced.
The researchers found that the brain circuitry in the junk-food-gorging rats actually changed. The more high-fat treats the rats ate, the more they craved treats in the future -- the more treats it took on subsequent feedings for them to experience satisfaction. In other words, they developed "tolerance," just the way junkies and alcoholics do, needing more and more of the "junk-food substance" in order to achieve a pleasure "rush."
"It was quite profound," says study author Paul Kenny. "The reward-response effects in the junk-food rats were very similar to what we see with animals that use cocaine and heroin." The response became even more pronounced as the rats gained more weight. The fatty treats also seemed to lower levels of a dopamine receptor in the brain of the rats.
In humans, lowered levels of dopamine receptors lead to increased pleasure-seeking behavior. Under normal conditions, dopamine deprivation excites normal desire or motivation, but in the case of the rats, eating junk foods made the deprivation severe enough to drive the mild desire to pathological levels.
Perhaps the most shocking discovery of all, though, was the finding that the addicted rats absolutely refused regular food, even after their treats were taken away. They chose to starve rather than return to rat kibble. "They actually voluntarily starved themselves," Kenny said.
So, how do you break the cycle if you've found yourself addicted to fatty foods?
Realizing it could be an addiction is the first step. Treat the situation as you would if you were helping a friend or family member cope with an addiction to another substance. Remove all the "offending" foods from your home. Find alternatives that "trick" you into feeling satisfied. Try fruit for sweet cravings. Eat raisin bread instead of sweet breads and danishes. Find other other activities that keep you busy and enlist the help of friends and family to help get you through your weak moments. Just like any addiction or bad habit, the longer you've done it the more difficult it can be to change your behavior. Keep that in mind, and don't beat yourself up if you temporarily fall of the wagon.
Material originally published at www.jonbarron.org. Copyright © 1999-2011. Baseline of Health® Foundation Used by permission of the Baseline of Health® Foundation. All rights reserved worldwide.
For more about this study, click here (http://go.emaildir2.com/l/a/d5i/m/a2w/36/zqt/click.emaildirect).