Why Fat, Salt and Sugar Stimulate Our Appetite and Promote Over Eating at Times
Why Fat, Salt and Sugar Stimulate Our Appetite and Promote Over Eating at Times
Almost two-thirds (about 66%) of U.S. adults age 20 or older are overweight — about 62% of women and around 71% of men. Nearly one-third (about 31%) of American adults are so overweight that they are considered obese.
A fatty guy utterly expressed, ” The latest science seemed to suggest being overweight was my destiny. I was fat because my body’s “thermostat” was set high. If I lost weight, my body would try to get it back, slowing down my metabolism till I returned to my predetermined set point”.
It was a known fact that for thousands of years, human body weight had stayed remarkably stable in the USA and UK. Now the question arises why so many people, in the US and UK in particular, were getting significantly fatter. It is remarkable to note that millions of calories passed through our bodies, yet with rare exceptions our weight neither rose nor fell. A perfect biological system seemed to be at work. Then, in the 80s, something changed.
In the USA, the number of obeses is gradually increasing at alarming rate because of their habit in taking fast foods. It is observed that through research that the Americans are entering their adult years at a significantly higher weight but, while on average everyone is getting heavier, the heaviest are gaining disproportionately more weight than others. The spread between those at the upper end of the weight curve and those at the lower end is widening. Overweight people are becoming more overweight
Obviously the question comes out,” What has happened to add so many millions of dollars to so many millions of people? Certainly food has become more readily available, with larger portion sizes, more chain restaurants and a culture that promotes out-of-home eating. But having food available doesn’t mean we have to eat it. What has been driving us to overeat ?”.
It is certainly not a want born of fear of food shortages. Nor is it a want rooted in hunger or the love of exceptional food. We know, too, that overeating is not the sole province of those who are overweight. Even people who remain slim often feel embattled by their drive for food. It takes serious restraint to resist an almost overpowering urge to eat. Yet many, including doctors and healthcare professionals, still think that weight gainers merely lack willpower, or perhaps self-esteem. Few have recognized the distinctive pattern of overeating that has become widespread in the population. No one has seen loss of control as it’s most defining characteristic.
“Higher sugar, fat and salt make you want to eat more,” which was read this in scientific literature, and heard it in conversations with neuroscientists and psychologists. But here was a leading food designer, a Henry Ford of mass-produced food, revealing how his industry operates. To protect his business, he did not want to be identified, but he was remarkably candid, explaining how the food industry creates dishes to hit what he called the “three points of the compass.”
Sugar, fat and salt make a food compelling. They stimulate neurons, cells that trigger the brain’s reward system and release dopamine, a chemical that motivates our behavior and makes us want to eat more. Many of us have what’s called a “bliss point”, at which we get the greatest pleasure from sugar, fat or salt. Combined in the right way, they make a product indulgent, high in “hedonic value”.
During the past two decades, there has been a dramatic change in our capability to access and afford what scientists call highly “palatable” foods. By palatability, they don’t just mean it tastes good: they are referring primarily to its capacity to stimulate the appetite. Restaurants are available at the epicenter of this explosion, along with an ever-expanding range of dishes that hit these three compass points. Sugar, fat and salt are either loaded into a core ingredient (such as meat, vegetables, potato or bread), layered on top of it, or both. Deep-fried tortilla chips are an example of loading – the fat is contained in the chip itself. When it is smothered in cheese, sour cream and sauce, that’s layering.
It is not just that fast food chains serve food with more fat, sugar and salt, or that intensive processing virtually eliminates our need to chew before swallowing, or that snacks are now available at any time. It is the combination of all that, and more. Some of worth-mentioning fast makers are as follows:
Kentucky Fried chicken- a chain of fast food restaurants.
The basic principle of the fast food companies is to prepare food such a way that once the people take them, they automatically come to take the food. The main ingredients are generally flour, salt, MSG(a form of artificial salt), maltodextrin, sugar, corn syrup and spice, the fried coating imparts flavor that touch on all three point of the compass while giving the consumer the perception of a bargain – a big plate of food at a