There’s some intriguing new research out of Boston University School of Medicine that suggests for some, losing weight might be just as tough as kicking hard-core drug or alcohol addiction. So how do you stop compulsive eating.
Science is fascinated by overeating, due in part to its link to evolution. Once food was hard to come by, now nourishment is readily available, and this abundance is killing us through soaring rates of diabetes and heart disease, not to mention the risks to our health of obesity and overweight.
Researchers are constantly looking for ways to help us avoid that extra weight, or at least explain why we can’t seem to be rid of it.
In this latest study, a diet-cycled group of 155 rats were fed a regular diet for five days before being switched to a chocolate flavored food high in sugar for two days.
To no one’s surprise, this group of rats didn’t want to go back to their regular food after eating what was intended to be rat junk food, and refused it, exhibiting signs of anxiety.
Sound familiar? When the rats were allowed to go back to the junk food, they overate, though their anxiety related behaviors returned to normal.
In fact, the rat brains acted as would be seen during withdrawal from drugs or alcohol.
Of course rat brains are not the same as human brains, and our neurology might work altogether differently, but the researchers, including study author Pietro Cottone, contend that the findings suggest a link between so called yo-yo dieting and cycles of addiction and withdrawal.
He and his team believe that obesity and eating disorders should be seen as chronic conditions, involving periods of abstinence (where sugar and fatty foods are “forbidden”) and relapses that involve compulsive, often out of control eating of high calorie goodies.
If you’re recognizing yourself, you’re not alone. Breathe, and read on…
Weight cycling, also known as yo-yo dieting, can be small (5-10 pounds) or large (50 pounds or more) and has been linked with some serious health risks.
Yo-yo dieting “a common habit of many chronic dieters, generates dependence,” explains Cottone, an assistant professor Boston University School of Medicine. When someone who’s used to overeating suddenly stops, stress hormones in the brain become active.
This leads to “anxiety, decreased motivation and rejection of other food alternatives.” In other words, you get nervous, lose your motivation for the diet and reject any healthy alternative you encounter… the diet fails and you return to your old patterns of eating.
What’s worse, each attempt to stay away from junk foods is going to be more painful and stressful than the earlier one, which makes the likelihood of relapse higher each time.
There is a ray of hope in all this. The team found that they helped the rats do better by inhibiting a system in the brain that adds to stress.
Continues below…
*Highly Recommended*
Medical Doctor Reveals The Shocking Truth
The real reason you can’t shift those stubborn pounds has nothing to do with a lack of willpower, eating too much or not eating the right kinds of foods – absolutely nothing.
It’s because your gut is full of plaque and parasites that work against you, no matter what you do, making it impossible to lose weight.
However, now there’s a proven way to flush these parasites from your gut and get rid of the plaque, allowing you to shed unwanted pounds fast.
Find out about Dr Suzanne Gudakunst’s brand new program will make you healthier, sexier, fitter and may even save your life!
Click through now to discover the shocking proof…
*Disclosure: compensated affiliate*
Yo-Yo Dieting And Addiction Link Continued…
No one can say that any treatment for human obesity is around the corner, but the findings are interesting.
And they offer hope for those who struggle with added weight and how to lose it… the endless cycle of losing and regaining… by promoting the idea that blaming yourself isn’t the answer.
It’s not a lack of willpower, but more likely a condition similar to drug addition that could be making your efforts so difficult and fruitless.
Finding help, and ready support, is your best hope of getting off the yo-yo diet bandwagon and taking control of your health.
To avoid the risks of this type of weight loss and gain, you’ll need to adopt healthier eating habits every day, and make it a point to engage in regular exercise so that you can reach and maintain a healthy weight… and say good-riddance to the endless gain-lose-gain back dieting cycle.
These findings were reported online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Daily Health Bulletin
For A Limited Time: Click Here To Grab 5 Free Essential Health Reports Today!
