Why is it that certain foods are difficult to stop eating?
One bite leads to another, until all we have left is an empty bag or plate and a little remorse. This phenomenon is explored in Dr. David Kessler’s book, The End of Overeating, which vilifies the food industry for producing “hyperpalatable” foods, or foods high in sugar, fat and salt, which activate the pleasure-reward center of our brains. He explains that if we eat these foods regularly, and continue associating them as a positive reward, our brains will fight harder to get them again in the future.
Kessler calls this the cue-urge-reward-habit cycle or “conditioned hypereating.”
A cue can be something very subtle: the sight or smell of a certain food, the time of day, a specific emotion or memory, triggering a craving for the food, whether or not we are actually hungry.
Dr. Kessler believes that conditioned hyper-eating is a biological challenge that we need to learn to manage, not an absence of willpower. Overall, the message of the book is hopeful: if you are exposed to a cue and practice resisting the urge, the cue will begin to lose its powerful association with reward in the brain, lessening the craving. Here are some of his tips for craving control:
• Be aware of your cues. What triggers you to want these foods (the sight, smells, emotions, time of day…).
• Thought stopping: Once cued, we only have a moment of control, before it becomes very difficult not to follow through with the urge. Don’t think about it, just say no.
• Have a list of alternate responses ready. If you encounter this situation, you will do this instead (call a friend, leave the kitchen, go for a walk…).
• Prepare a cognitive script. Implant your intentions in your brain. These thoughts can remind us of the consequences of bad habits or direct our attention elsewhere. “If I don’t eat this now, I will feel better later.”
• Seek out some supporters.
When favourite foods stop being favourite foods and become unwanted habits, it may be time to limit them. Remember that while these foods do make us feel better for the brief moment they are in our mouths, the feeling does not last, and we often end up with a feeling of remorse.
-Serena Caner is a registered dietician who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.