Overeating - how it can change your biological clock...

I was listening to NPR this morning and they had a really interesting segment about how overeating can change your biological clock.  The article can be found here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=99074990

Here are some interesting highlights:
"  In mice, studies of the biological clock — an innate mechanism that tells you when to sleep and when to eat — indicate that when they are overfed, their body clocks change and gear them toward more overeating.  'If mice eat a high-fat diet, they actually wake up during what is nighttime for them and eat,' says Dr. Joe Bass, a Northwestern University endocrinologist and molecular biologist who has published numerous studies about the body clock and mice. 'It would be as if you were waking up every night during holiday season and eating all the sweets in your refrigerator.'"

"If you consistently overeat, you'll trigger changes in your stomach, the doctor says. The neurological tissue at the top of the stomach, which signals the brain that the stomach is full, starts to malfunction. 'When you overeat time and time again, this electrical conduit pathway gets tired and it doesn't tell your brain that you're full anymore,' says Stiles. 'It may send abnormal signals and you may not even realize you're full.'"

The program ended with a comment like... "So the next time you think about eatting an extra slice of cake, remember the havok it might have on your biological clock."  Good advice!

I was listening to that also. The part that I found most interesting was about cold drinks.  Apparently drinking cold drinks will empty your stomach quicker and make you hungry again.

"If you drink lots of icy beverages with your food, the mixed messages to your body only worsen, she says. "When you drink cold liquids, your stomach will start contracting and it will massage the food that will again quickly leave stomach to the rest of the gastrointestinal track."

This means your stomach will be empty sooner than normal, and you will be hungrier sooner."

Yea - the whole thing was interesting!  I always thought that cold drinks were good to drink because it took your body more work to "use" it because it had to warm it up.  So much for that idea!

That doesn't mean the idea that cold drinks take more work is wrong.

I was also listening to this piece (right after the piece on amblyopia - which I have and was SHOCKED to be hearing a piece about!  LOL)

Was a great segment - NPR is a great source of information!

Original Post by poofyball:

That doesn't mean the idea that cold drinks take more work is wrong.

True... but if I had to chose between (1) drinking a cold drink, burning a few more calories and feeling hungry, and (2) not drinking a cold drink, not burning a few calories and feeling satisified - I'd chose the second option.  So the thing that changes for me is how worthwhile drinking a cold drink is.

interesting! thanks for posting!

i knew this already from loads of experience, which is why im here.  i can't really stand cold drinks, only usually room temperature so no comment on that. cold drinks make my throat close up for some reason.