Binge Eating

I found this really interesting article on binge eating.  It gives a neurological explanation for why some people eat even when they aren't hungry:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1633 74.php

ROFL!!! What it's basically saying is that we keep eating not solely because we're still hungry but because we're enjoying ourselves.....  Where do I sign up for the research funding?...

Like I said, "interesting" .  I found it pretty funny too, although it is still an interesting explanation!

In Missouri it's interesting, possibly even surprising, who knows?  But I can tell you for a fact they'd never have bothered running that experiment in France.  

"Monsieur Le Rat eats because he enjoys the taste?".... "Bien sur!!! What other possible reason is there for eating?"

I don't know why they bothered messing up rats' heads to find this out....  There are great lists of foods that are absolutely not eaten for reasons of hunger but purely for indulgence and they can be found on every menu under the heading 'desserts'.  By that stage of the meal nobody is actually hungry any more.... QED

Hahaha, I know, right?  I'm actually from Missouri (St. Louis), and for Americans the European idea of eating good food (as in good for you (usually anyway) AND good tasting) is kind of weird.  I live in Italy now, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that when I go to see my in-laws it takes us at least 2 hours if not more to eat a meal.  We savor each course...it's fantastic. 

While I feel bad for the poor little rats, I think brain chemistry is fascinating and the fact that two different regions of the brain regulate the desire to eat either based on hunger or for pleasure is interesting. 

I think the study might actually help people who repeatedly binge...who knows?  It is normal to continue eating every once in a while (like at a restaurant or a big family meal), but to do it repeatedly might suggest that something is wrong in that area of the brain.  I have no idea, I'll leave it to the scientists to figure it out

Original Post by gi-jane:
 There are great lists of foods that are absolutely not eaten for reasons of hunger but purely for indulgence and they can be found on every menu under the heading 'desserts'.  By that stage of the meal nobody is actually hungry any more.... QED

Unless one subscribes to the notion "Life is short, eat dessert first".  As my mother, for instance, does.  Me, I can live without the dessert course, it is the cheese course that is my downfall in sensible eating.

Ah, that's where I went wrong--marry the foreigner and move to their home country, not marry the local and spend years saving to move to the foreign country...darn...I'm so jealous.

I really think I would not struggle with weight so much if I lived somewhere else. lol I just can't adopt that "food is fuel" concept. It keeps me going but does it have to taste like crap? Honestly...:)

And dessert SHOULD be eaten first once in a while, I think. :) How else do you really savor that flavor? It tastes even better when you are still hungry.