In this video, I'm going to answer the question "Why do I eat when I'm not hungry" and give you 7 reasons backed by science why this happens.
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Calories do count, but that doesn't mean that this is always a conscious choice.
In fact, most of our daily decisions are unconscious and driven by our environment and habits.
This is why we often find ourselves eating a lot more despite the fact that we might not even be hungry.
Key Points - 7 Drivers of Non-Homeostatic eating:
1 - Food palatability, variety, and reward
Imagine you're at your favorite restaurant.
You just finished a large meal, you're full stuffed.
And a waiter brings out a brownie and a bowl of ice-cream.
What's the likelihood of your eating that even though you are absolutely full?
If you're like me, very high.
Now imagine a different scenario. Imagine the waiter brings out a bowl of boiled potatoes, no salt, just plain boiled potato.
Most people wouldn't touch the potato.
The truth is, we eat even when it's not related to hunger.
And highly rewarding foods that stimulate our reward centers are a big part of that.
Additionally, the more variety there is on the table the more calories we're likely to eat.
We tend to be full with one type of food but that doesn't mean we can't have something else that tastes a bit different.
Studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11006433
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4477694/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11393299
2 - Low Effort / Resource cost of food
Let's face it, tasty food is easy to access, it's all around us.
Imagine you were in that restaurant scenario and you saw that plate of brownies but it was across the street in a bakery.
You'd probably not go there and eat one.
However, it's very easy to grab one when it's right in front of you.
Effort and resource cost of food has a big impact on total intake and food choices we make every day.
3 - Social environment
Eating with 6 other people is associated 72% increased calorie intake. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11054584
We tend to eat more on the weekends compared to weekdays.
It's important to be aware of this factor as we're always "pinging" to see what our friends are doing and we try to fit in.
4 - Stress and Boredom
American Psychological Association reported back in 2007 that 43% of Americans overeat when they're stressed. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2007/10/stress.aspx
This is also very individual as they've reported that 36% of adults skip meals when they're stressed.
However, in both cases, people tend to gravitate more to high-calorie density, hyper-palatable foods for comfort. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1828608
5 - Alcohol
Alcohol is a big driver of non-homeostatic eating in the modern environment.
Alcohol is rich in calories (7 kcal / gram) and it's consumed for pleasure, not hunger.
It can also increase hunger and food intake as well as facilitate poor food choices.
Studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15059684
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/04/q4/1215-galanin.htm
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm
6 - Insufficient and/or poor sleep
When you don't get enough sleep we get:
- Reduced your will-power
- We make poor food choices, going for highly processed foods.
- It alters hormones related to hunger and metabolism
- Favors fat storage and more muscle loss
Studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21550729
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951287/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18564298
7 - Habits
Sometimes we eat just because "It's lunch time" or "it's snack time".
We fall into habits that lead to overconsumption of calories. i.e. Habit of having a soda with lunch or eating chocolate for dessert.
This has been well documented in research.
In one study patient with amnesia ate lunch 3 times because they were conditioned to eat when the researchers told them "It's lunch."
Habitual eating is a very important factor to be aware of.
Studies:
https://pss.sagepub.com/content/9/5/392
Let me know in the comments below which one of the factors do you find most interesting.
Talk soon, Mario
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