Obesity and overeating - why do we overeat?

Question of the week: what drives us to overeat to the point of being predisposed to premature death and disease?

Although targeted advertising may play a predominant part in poor food choices, overeating and obesity, there are four internal influencers that can increase the incidence of ingesting unnecessary nutrition. These include...

1.Sensory stimulation.
Food sources that stimulate the senses are often overeaten irrespective of the presence of physical hunger. For example, the sight, smell, taste, touch and texture of a calorific cake is much more likely to be over consumed in comparison to less 'favourable' food sources such as fruit and vegetables.

2.Inadequate nutrition.
Food affects how we feel on a physical and psychological scale and as a result, can have a positive or negative impact on both the quality, and the quantity of the food sources that we choose to consume. If we fail to feel satiated from a previous snack or meal - be it physically and/or psychologically - or chronically consume an energy dense diet derived from nutrient deficient food sources, we're much more likely to overeat as a result of making poor food choices - an action that's largely linked to poor portion control and an over consumption of nutrient deficient calories.

3.Conditioned/habitual eating.
Certain eating rules and regimes that are reiterated during childhood can lead to conditioned and habitual eating during adolescence and adulthood. This is commonly seen in individuals who were taught to 'clear the plate' irrespective of the presence of physical hunger during childhood - an action that can sabotage satiety signals at an early age - and/or chronically crave and consume something sweet after something savoury - a habit that often originates from being given a dessert after dinner during childhood.

4.Emotional eating.
Eating to soothe or suppress exaggerated emotions such as stress, sadness, shame and shattered self-esteem can not only contribute to obesity and overeating, but create a complex cycle that spirals out of sufferers conscious control. This often presents as the following process...

• Emotional trigger: erratic emotions of a negative nature trigger the complex cycle of emotional eating.
• Binge: sufferers find a form of comfort and/or control in food sources that stimulate the senses and promote short-term psychological satisfaction.
• Emotions are exaggerated: the failure to fight the overwhelming urge not to turn to food for comfort triggers toxic thoughts of guilt, shame and failure, whilst exaggerating existing negative emotions.
• Binge: the cycle starts again as sufferers strive to soothe or suppress their binge induced insecurities, as well as the existing negative emotions that triggered the initial episode of emotional eating.

If this cycle continues to be repeated on a regular basis, negative feelings will naturally be fed and fuelled with food as sufferers struggle to cease a cycle that's triggered during times of emotional stress and distress. 

Final thought: targeted advertising may play a predominant part in overeating, overweight and obesity, but it's by no means the core culprit responsible for unhealthy eating behaviour.

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