Eating voraciously and to satiety, as well as tasteless habits, are two factors that predispose us to obesity. Eat slowly and chew well, these are two of the first pieces of advice we give our children from the time they are able to sit at the table by themselves. The correctness of the advice has recently been demonstrated by research carried out in Japan who managed to prove that when a person eats quickly and fills up, he multiplies his chances of suffering from obesity by three.
Gastric distension that occurs after each meal is one of the first signals of satiety that is transmitted by the vegetative nervous system to the hypothalamus, a regulatory center found in the brain. If we consume food very quickly, we do not give time for it to be sent correctly and we end up eating a larger amount of food.
Appetite, like other physiological processes in the body, is regulated by hormones. One of the most important is insulin, but leptin has also been identified it is produced in adipose tissue and has hunger-suppressing properties and ghrelin, known as the “hunger hormone” for its opposite function: it increases appetite. In addition, cholecystokinin, a satiety hormone secreted by duodenal cells in response to the presence of food, especially fat, acts. It is believed to work by inhibiting gastric emptying, contributing to a feeling of fullness.
Knowing about these issues and acting on what you have learned is essential to stop the obesity epidemic that is spreading throughout the world due to bad eating habits. Encouraging nutrition education is just the beginning, but without it will be impossible to remedy unhealthy eating.
How to avoid fast and overeating
- Do not skip meal times. Avoid arriving at the table very hungry by incorporating between one appointment with the table, a fruit or juice.
- Eat slowly and in quiet environments. It is preferable to do it listening to music than watching television.
- Chewing is the first digestive process, choose vegetables and foods rich in fiber that force you to slowly train the multiple muscles involved in it.
- Delay dessert a bit and you will see that you will end up rejecting it because you will get the feeling of satiety. Sweets are tasty, but they are very fattening!