Interesting study on emotional eating...

waitinggame
on 7/27/11 7:22 am - Bowie, MD
My counselor forwarded this in his newsletter. I haven't looked at the actual study, so don't get all excited when you find out it was only 3 people in someone's basement. I just think this is interesting if there is any validity to it:

"I wanted to share with you an interesting research study completed in Belgium about the stomach's role in emotional eating. The scientists found that hormones in our stomachs appear to communicate directly with our brains, independent of any feelings we have about the foods we eat. We know that when most of us see chocolate, we want it and eat it with great joy and find our mood elevated. The thought was this was primarily due to taste, smell, texture and memory of good experiences with the food. That may not be the whole story according to this study.

The volunteers were “fed" through an unmarked feeding tube a solution made either of saturated fatty acids or saline solution. The volunteers were then placed in an environment made to elicit sad emotions - playing sad classical music and showing them sad faces. Those who were given the saline solution found the environment considerably more depressing than those who were given the fatty acids solution. This seems to suggest a strong biological as well as psychological component, and that the effect of food is also independent of emotional stimuli."

Yummy fatty acid solution--always makes me feel better emotionally!

So, are you an emotional eater? Is it any emotional stimuli or just a particular emotion like sad or angry? I find I'm less likely now than before surgery to eat emotionally, but I know in high stress times I definitely can be inspired to nosh on some carbs that I wouldn't otherwise. I'm also more inspired to go to the gym to work out my emotions, so that is a very good thing.

Just thought I'd share!

Denise

Check out my blog--menumealplanning.com. Tales of making meal planning managable, family fodder, and everything else under the sun. 

RNY 2/3/09, LBL/BL w/Augmentation 9/16/11
Start weight: 335 Current weight: 185 Goal weight: Whatever the hell I can maintain without driving myself insane


                    ButterflyCenturyCard-5.gif picture by barbccrn

 

*6.5 lost preop

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