signals that tell us we're full: the path to obesity
 

that was a hard title to pick!!

there was a thread yesterday on spotlighthealth.com that was intriguing, so i'm borrowing it for here. one preop had asked her surgeon how she had gotten so heavy, expecting the usual answer about how it was all her fault. but he said something along these lines, according to the post:

normally, it takes about 20 minutes for the 'we're full' signals to get to the brain so that we should stop eating. but apparently years of yo-yo dieting and calorie restriction truly disrupt this mechanism, and it often takes 30-40 minutes for the signals to show up, leaving us more time for more calories. plus dessert.

an interesting idea. i wonder if making sure that we eat for only 20 minutes could help people lose weight.

one thing i DO know is that we are told to take 20-30 minutes to eat our meals, and if we're not done by then, we have to stop eating anyway. we were told that this is because eating longer sets us up for too many calories and a grazing pattern, besides stretching the pouch.

but maybe this feedback loop is an issue as well..

anyone have a clue??? opinion????

I think the signal is there, we just ignore it. I am SIGNIFICANTLY overweight (about 150 pds over at my highest, now closer to 100) and only began to lose weight and keep it off when I decided to stop dieting and eat like a "normal" person...I eat ONLY if I'm hungry and stop when I'm satisfied (not bursting, not over full, just not hungry/somewhat full). The signal is there, and you get it faster than you might think. I am continually surprised at how little food I NEED v. what I ate normall or ate even when dieting. I feel great, the weight is coming off.

I really think the signal is there, but you have to be honest enough to pay attention and stop when you get it. I suppose there are varying degrees of what people consider to be "full" and if someone insist on eating till they just can't hold another bite...yeah, that probably DOES take 30 to 40 minutes. But if you honestly eat mindfully and stop when your body is no longer hungry/somewhat full...it doesn't take long, nor does it take much food.

It's certainly something to think about.

an interesting point, nicole.. and it raises a few more thoughts.. we're told to eat the protein first, and frankly, i get so much fuller quickly when i do that compared with those rare times when i eat a mouthful or two of carbs or veg first.

maybe the signal is triggered differently depending on what you're eating? not sure, but it would explain why some people never feel satisfied after a high-carb meal.

The reason you don't get satisfied on a high carb meal is realy very simple.
When you eat carbs they metabolise into sugar, the sugar triggers your pancreas to produce lots of insulin you get a sugar rush and feel prety energetic for a short time but then the insulin levels crash and your body thinks it needs more fuel, because of this you get hungary. It also makes you very tired so you no longer want to excercise so you are stuck both hungary and with no drive to do anything but nap. Since I cut most of the carbs from my diet I have had more energy and a much smaller apetite.