Why do overweight people eat more than their bodies need? – Wel.nl

“There is nothing to do with weakness that people with obesity often fail to lose weight on their own,” says Prof. Mireille Serli, endocrinologist at Amsterdam UMC v. Quest. It’s about why overweight people don’t eat less. Because that’s what many overweight people think. Obese people are lazy, you hear. Or: They just don’t try hard enough. But it really isn’t that simple. There is growing scientific evidence that obesity has nothing to do with willpower, but rather with changes in the brain.

Our brains are programmed for a world where there is very little food. Surley told Quest, “Our distant ancestors were happy if they could eat twice a day, and even that didn’t always work out. If they wanted to survive periods of food scarcity, there was only one thing they needed to do: build a good source of energy, That is, fat, in times of plenty. Then they can pay for it later. Their brains are wired for this. With the main motivator: eat what you can eat.

Our brains are not yet sufficiently aware that food is now plentiful, at least in rich countries. They tell you when your body needs new energy in the form of food and motivate you to store fat for tough times.

But why don’t we stop eating when we have enough energy? Serlie and her research group are trying to find out through several studies. More and more Dutch people are overweight. It seems as if our brains have been asking for more and more food in recent decades. This led me to ask: Could the brain system that regulates eating behavior be disrupted in people who are seriously overweight?

The system Serlie is referring to is a vast and complex network through which the brain exchanges messages with the rest of the body. On the other hand, there is the so-called “symmetric eating system”, which monitors your energy level. In addition, there is a “delicious eating system”. that makes you sentence or sentence in food; In short, it provides motivation and reward.

“Both systems work less well in people who are seriously overweight,” says Cearly. They have a constant desire to eat and are less likely to get a cue that they are full. This explains why it is so difficult for them to lose weight. Their brains are constantly sending signals that they should seek and eat food. Because it is about life and death, these urges are also very powerful. It is almost impossible to ignore.