제 23 호 Hedonic Eating
Kicker: SCIENCE
Hedonic Eating
By Ji-Won Choi, Cub Reporter
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Have you ever eaten not because you arehungry, but because you want to eat something? In modern society, people are experiencing not only physical hunger, but also another form of desire called hedonic hunger. Eating food is not only about hunger, but eating food can also be to satisfy our hedonistic desires. Our bodies use energy through meals in order to function. To do this, hormones in the stomach send a signal to the brain that the stomach is empty when it burns more calories than it gets. This is called physical hunger. However, unlike this, when you do not feel hungry, but you have a desire to consume food for the purpose of pleasure, it is called hedonic hunger. Through this article, I would like to learn about the causes of hedonic hunger and the effects of this hunger on our lives and health.
An Appetite by Hedonistic Impulses
Unlike hunger for our body's homeostasis, the characteristics of stone water seeking pleasure and avoiding pain also affect appetite. From a long time ago, only animals seeking survival and reproduction were able to leave offspring. Since sufficient energy is essential for all animals to survive and reproduce, it is assumed that animals that feel pleasure and strongly reward high-concentration energy foods, such as sugar and fat, are advantageous for survival and reproduction. Rather, our instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain, which may seem primitive, are characteristics that were inevitably developed in the course of human evolution.
However, in modern society, the pleasure and desire of high-concentration energy foods, which were tools to induce individuals to consume food, make them eat for pleasure even if they are not hungry. Some studies of animals and people have found that the brain's reward centers and pleasure centers, which are stimulated by addictive drugs, are stimulated equally by delicious foods high in sugar, fat, and salt.Hunger and appetite are commonly felt together, but they often work independently of each other and affect individual eating behavior. For example, if you see a dessert that looks delicious after eating enough, you will feel an appetite even if you are not hungry.
Increased Stress and Appetite
your body's reaction when stressed out
https://news.koreadaily.com/2019/07/05/society/opinion/7397317.html
In addition, psychological stress has increased in modern society compared to the past. These stresses may increase appetite. When stress occurs, it produces stress hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. Usually, these hormones return to normal when stress is released, but when stress is chronically maintained, it becomes overstressed and cortisol is excessively produced. Cortisol combines with the cortisol receptor in adipose tissue to store fat in the adipose tissue.
Stress can reduce appetite for a short period of time. When stressed, sympathetic hormones, such as epinephrine are activated, which can lead to loss of appetite. However, chronic stress increases cortisol, and cortisol dulls the hormone action called leptin. Leptin is a hormone that lowers appetite and increases energy consumption. Therefore, it consequently increases appetite.
Addiction and Changes in Our Bodies
As with other hedonic experiences, such as drugs, alcohol, and gambling, the more you consume hedonistic food, the more dull your senses become. In other words, the degree of pleasure decreases and the degree of longing increases. Through this process, a vicious cycle of binge eating, being stressed after starving, and binge eating again occurs. When this hedonistic eating addiction begins, weight homeostasis changes. It becomes a stable obese state that forms a new homeostasis balance in the direction of gaining weight from normal weight.
The Danger of Obesity
As such, eating foods high in calories as a hedonistic motive increases the likelihood of obesity. As the World Health Organization defined obesity as a “disease requiring long-term treatment” in 1996, obesity is not simply negligible. Obese people have more than twice as much mortality as normal weight people. It is mainly caused by cardiovascular disease. In addition, obesity can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and arthritis. It also increases the risk of various cancers such as colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer.
Therefore, what are some ways to prevent thishedonic eating? First, when you have a desire to eat food, you should think about whether it is physical orhedonic eating. Hedonic eating makes your stomach growl. Also, your energy decreases and your hunger gets worse as time goes by. Normally, when you are full after eating, you stop eating. On the other hand, with hedonic eating, you suddenly feelshunger. There is also a desire to eat certain foods, such as “I want to eat ice cream”. It persists after you are full, and you may feel guilty after eating.
Second, eat nutritious and low-calorie foods instead of processed or sweet foods that may lead to overeating. Use natural sweeteners instead of sugar. It is recommended to cook at home as much as possible, and eat three meals regularly. Avoid caffeine drinks and drink enough water.
Third, try to understand your current emotions. Since pleasure hunger occurs according to our emotional state, it is good to understand exactly what kind of emotions you are feeling. And rather than relieving these emotions by eating food, they express them in a healthy way. It is recommended to try various methods such as exercising, meditating, and listening to music.
Fourth, wait for a moment. When you feel the urge to eat for a moment, it's better to eat after a while rather than eat right away. This is because hedonic eating can be reduced. Drinking water is a good method to delay time. Additionally, limiting accessibility can be beneficial. Avoid keeping snacks at home. Even if you crave them, you become lazy to go outside and don't eat.
Finally, don't drink alcohol. Alcohol can reduce our self-control and cause binge eating. Also, alcohol has an effect on our body's blood sugar control. Alcohol can raise blood sugar quickly and stimulate the secretion of insulin. This makes you want to eat again because your blood sugar levels drop sharply.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/korean/articles/c4n145x3g12o
http://www.mind-journal.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=67
조우진, 이인혜. (2019). 쾌락적허기짐, 충동성이폭식행동에미치는영향: 충동성의조절효과를중심으로. 한국심리학회지: 임상심리연구와실제, 5(4), 377-394.
https://www.sisajournal.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=217720
