Help! My Brain Has Been Hijacked... By Food!

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Even though I am happily deep into Week 3 of my Diet-to-Go Low-Carb plan, I must confess there are times when I suddenly find myself dwelling on a favorite junk food or fast food. I wouldn't be admitting this if I hadn't come across an article featuring former FDA Commissioner David Kessler. According to Kessler's research, my brain -- like his brain and probably your brain -- has been hijacked by food! I imagine tiny Somali pirates in a dinghy pulling up alongside my unarmed brain... holding my mind hostage at gunpoint... and demanding that I give in and gobble a Big Mac or suck down a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi. Kessler's research suggests I am not alone. In fact, millions of us share what he calls "conditioned hypereating" — a willpower-sapping drive to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when they're not hungry. "The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to keep on eating," Kessler says. "It's the next great public health campaign, of changing how we view food, and the food industry has to be part of it." Kessler suggests three ways to fight back: --Retrain the brain to think, "I'll hate myself if I eat that." Lay down new neural reward circuits by substituting something else you enjoy, like a bike ride or a healthier food. --Make rules to resist temptation: "I'm going to the mall but bypassing the food court." -- Avoid cues for bad eating whenever possible. Always go for the nachos at your friends' weekend gathering spot? Start fresh at another restaurant. For the full story, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_he_me/med_healthbeat_overeating


Author: John McGran

Archived posts 2009

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