Always Hungry? Here’s Why
nytimes.com
Always Hungry? Here’s Why
1–10 of 134 posts
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#2Everyone wants to be told that it isn't their fault that bad things have happened. Its a pernicious, harmful urge most often on display in courtrooms and discussions on weight and diet. Unfortunately reality is what it is: if you eat without consideration and control in this modern world of low-cost calories, then you will get fat. Accepting and acknowledging that you are 100% accountable as to what and how much you eat is a necessary first step to avoiding that end state.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#3There seems to be a pervasive unwillingness to understand the nature of positive feedback cycles, and instead we're just continually hearing "fat because of intake" and "intake because of fat" arguments that try to fall on an extreme interpretation of simplified causality.
This article belongs to the very few that actually do a job of describing a feedback cycle, but then it falls short and does the popular simplification thing.
Fat cells emit hormones that cause hunger, and they actually do require energy for upkeep. The body prioritizes not losing any of its substance, so most "healthy" adults will always at least eat the amount they need to not lose weight. On top of that come fatal breakages in the messaging system the body uses to control the flow of energy. Fat people are prone to insulin resistance, physical extension of their digestive system that leads to the urge for more throughput, and other mechanisms - all of which cause an almost insurmountable desire to eat a lot.
It's an addiction that subverts two of our most powerful mental priorities: the reward/pleasure system and the survival instinct. In most people there is not a lot that can be done to overcome what these two systems tell you. That's why diets fail: my body is lying to me. It's like getting two popup alert boxes every minute, one saying "you are DYING! eat something" and the other goes "you're unhappy, eat something, you deserve some happiness".
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#4Everyone wants to be told that it isn't their fault that bad things have happened. Its a pernicious, harmful urge most often on display in courtrooms and discussions on weight and diet. Unfortunately reality is what it is: if you eat without consideration and control in this modern world of low-cost calories, then you will get fat. Accepting and acknowledging that you are 100% accountable as to what and how much you…
It's probably rational to expect people to behave in irrational ways, isn't it? Calling people 100% accountable for their actions is not a reflection of reality, it's morality.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#5Everyone wants to be told that it isn't their fault that bad things have happened. Its a pernicious, harmful urge most often on display in courtrooms and discussions on weight and diet. Unfortunately reality is what it is: if you eat without consideration and control in this modern world of low-cost calories, then you will get fat. Accepting and acknowledging that you are 100% accountable as to what and how much you…
The food and quality of food that is available to many people is a factor, which is could be said is generally out of their control. I don't think it's helpful to blame the individual as we are all part of systems.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#6I was moderately shocked and confused at the pasta/cake illustration midway in the article.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#7Caloric restriction does work, but from my experience, it's hard, and requires conscious effort all day every day.
That's why, until a year ago, it never worked for me. I would imagine that's why it doesn't work for most people as well.
Well, conscious effort, and a thoroughly ingrained habit to eat everything on my plate because "starving children in Africa".
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#8>>In studies by Dr. Rudolph L. Leibel of Columbia and colleagues, when lean and obese research subjects were underfed in order to make them lose 10 to 20 percent of their weight, their hunger increased and metabolism plummeted. Conversely, overfeeding sped up metabolism.
This is kind of useless without knowing if they underfed by decreasing amount of food for each feeding time or reducing the numbers of feeding times. The whole idea of eating many small meals during the day instead of a few big ones. Also, depending on the amount of exercising these people are doing these results could go either way.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#9Everyone wants to be told that it isn't their fault that bad things have happened. Its a pernicious, harmful urge most often on display in courtrooms and discussions on weight and diet. Unfortunately reality is what it is: if you eat without consideration and control in this modern world of low-cost calories, then you will get fat. Accepting and acknowledging that you are 100% accountable as to what and how much you…
It's probably rational to expect people to behave in irrational ways, isn't it? Calling people 100% accountable for their actions is not a reflection of reality, it's morality.
Yeah I think in a rational society nothing would be left up to willpower, moral fortitude, honour etc. as they are bound to fail.
However they are still attainable ideals and worth striving for.
I certainly have a tendency to be fat, I am always really hungry and just plain greedy when it comes to food, my dad has always been a bit fat, I grew up eating oven food: waffles, fried chicken etc.
When I started getting close to 30 I could see myself starting to get fat and I just went "No! I will not be fat" In aid of this I have developed myself a pretty healthy lifestyle over the years that includes plenty of exercise, fruits vegetables and water, and I abstain from sugar and things of that ilk. As a result I am fitter than most people my age, in fact I'm doing a 200k cycle in a few weeks :)
edit: You know there is probably a willpower / self worth feedback cycle too. If you give into temptation once you feel bad about yourself and are probably then more likely to to fall again.
Re: Always Hungry? Here’s Why
#10There seems to be a pervasive unwillingness to understand the nature of positive feedback cycles, and instead we're just continually hearing "fat because of intake" and "intake because of fat" arguments that try to fall on an extreme interpretation of simplified causality. This article belongs to the very few that actually do a job of describing a feedback cycle, but then it falls short and does the popular simplific…
There's a wealth of information on ketogenic (low to no carb) diets: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto
Everyone serious about this understands that carbs are the problem.