Eating is one of the main necessities we need to survive. Too much or too little can become detrimental to one’s health, which was shown in the “Weight of the Nation” documentary. Some influences of an eating pattern are psychological factors and biological factors like genes.
The hormone ghrelin is released when it is needed to signal the brain that you are hungry. It is produced when the blood sugar and insulin levels are low and when replenished, another hormone leptin is produced that produces the feeling of being full. It is a natural process to feel hungry and full but when the psychological factors interact with this process it can lead to eating disorders involving too much or too little food intake.
When eating high sugary and fatty foods, the mesolimbic center of the brain released opioids that bind to receptors. These receptors release dopamine, the hormone that produces happiness. This factor influences the now “need” for sugary fatty foods that people crave during stressful times. Although we may feel the need to eat when those foods are present, it is simply our brain telling us we need it to have an upkeep of dopamine.
Although economics plays a huge part in the food industry, mental health also seems to play a huge part. Americans are noted to be some of the most stressed people with about 55% of adults reporting stress on a daily basis. When people are stressed they tend to eat high sugar and fatty foods to feel happier. With the increasing prices of living in America, there could be a correlation between obesity and stress in impoverished parts of the country. Perhaps one of the ways to decrease obesity and eating disorders in the United States is to focus on the mental part along with the physical aspect of being healthy.
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I agree with your correlation between stress and obesity, and I would argue that increased stress in America can partially be attributed to our current economy. With increased work hours and a promotion-driven corporate ideology partially created by an influx of skilled white-collar workers, it makes sense that stress rates would be rising.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you were able to tie some of the biology behind eating into the economic causes. Perhaps individuals who are stressed out by their work or financial problems feel that the opportunity cost of spending the time to cook something healthy and grocery shop is too great as they are loosing productive working hours. Part of this problem could be attributed to the "easy" factor associated with fast and processed foods.
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