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CREDIT SEMINAR

ON

FOOD AND EMOTION

Submitted by,

Name: Annu Ann Joseph

Admission Number: 2016 BFT 05

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SL. NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION 3
2 HOW THE FOOD WE EAT 3
AFFECT WHAT WE FEEL?

3 HOW OUR EMOTIONS 4

AFFECT OUR EATING
BEHAVIOUR?

4 CAN CHANGING WHAT 6

FOODS YOU EAT IMPROVE
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

5 EMOTIONAL EATING 13
6 EATING DISORDER –THEY 13
CAN KILL

7 OBESITY 14
8 WHO IS TO BE BLAMED FOR 17
SUCH A RISE IN EATING
DISORDERS?
9. HOW CAN OBESITY RATES BE 18
REDUCED?
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1. INTRODUCTION

We know that coffee produces elation and improves your ability to pay attention if you have been awake for
a long period of time or had poor sleep the night before. Also we know that eating certain foods like junk
foods and ice-cream makes us happy. We often have had the urge to keep eating while tensed and have had
no appetite while angry. Thus, we have already experienced the connection between food and emotion. This
relationship depends according to the particular characteristics of the individual and according to the specific
emotional state. But, what exactly is the connection between food and emotion? What kind of foods affects
our moods? How our moods affect our eating behaviour? Where can this knowledge be used? This content
tries to answer these questions.

2. HOW THE FOOD WE EAT AFFECT WHAT WE FEEL?

The food or drug that you consume will act upon your brain if in some way that substance resembles an
actual neurotransmitter or if it is able to interact with an essential biochemical process in your brain that
influences the production, release, or inactivation of a neurotransmitter. For example, unripe bananas contain
the neurotransmitter serotonin. When you eat an unripe banana, its serotonin is free to act upon the serotonin
neurons within your intestines. The consequence is likely to be increased activation of the muscles in the
wall of your intestines, usually experienced as diarrhoea (Wenk, 2010).

Another idea is that a healthy diet changes the gut microbe. Gut can be said as the second brain of the body
as our gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons. Also, about 95% of your
serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep
and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Thus it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive
system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions (Vanessa, 2010).

The bacteria or microbe that live in the gastrointestinal tract can send signals to the brain telling us what to
eat. Certain sorts of microbes like certain sorts of food and if one of them is predominating it will drive you
to eat those foods they like, it could be the high fat and sugary foods in people with higher BMI. A “good”
microbe can protect the lining of your intestines and ensure they provide a strong barrier against toxins and
“bad” bacteria; they limit inflammation; they improve how well you absorb nutrients from your food; and
they activate neural pathways that travel directly between the gut and the brain.

Studies have shown that when people take probiotics (supplements containing the good bacteria), their
anxiety levels, perception of stress, and mental outlook improve, compared with people who did not take
probiotics. Other studies have compared “traditional” diets, to a typical “Western” diet and have shown that
the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. The traditional diet was
similar to the Mediterranean or the traditional Japanese diet, and was high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed
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grains, and fish and seafood, and contained only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They were also
void of processed and refined foods and sugars, which are staples of the “Western” dietary pattern. In
addition, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented, and therefore act as natural probiotics.

Yet another thought is that some people might be missing trace nutrients, like folate, and a better diet might
provide those and make them feel better. But this does not mean that you can cure a mental illness (Eva,
2018).

3. HOW OUR EMOTIONS AFFECT OUR EATING BEHAVIOUR?

We know emotions affect eating behaviours, but it is not possible to make a general statement as it differs
according to specific emotional state and characteristic of the individual. Eating behaviour depends on food
choice, quantity and frequency of meals.

3.1. Relation between emotion and quantity of food

One study shows higher food intake during boredom, depression, fatigue etc. and lower food intake during
fear, tension, pain etc. (Mehrabian, 1980). While another study shows that food consumed is more during
positive and negative emotions compared to neutral emotion with more impact during positive emotion
(Patel & Schlundt, 2001; Geliebter & Aversa, 2003). Both self-report and experimental studies also showed
that greater stress levels were associated with greater amount of food consumption (Torres & Nowson,
2007).

3.2. Relation between emotion and food choice

It is already clear that a relation exist between negative emotions and unhealthy foods, though there are
individual variation/s in what kind of snacks people want. In bad moods people prefer to have cookies,
candies, chips etc. But it’s less clear what foods we are drawn to in a positive mood. Different studies show
different results. Research studies report that healthy foods were chosen during positive emotions while, junk
food were chosen during negative emotions (Lyman, 1982).

3.3. Relation between emotion and frequency of meals

It is seen that the urge to eat increases in undergraduates when they are tensed (Weingarten and Elston,
1991). Also stress increases ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels, causing overeating and weight gain (Labarthe
2014).

3.4. Theories relating emotions and eating behaviour

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3.4.1. Psychosomatic theories of obesity

The Kaplan and Kaplan psychosomatic theory of obesity

Kaplan and Kaplan (1957) proposed that eating reduces anxiety. The mechanism is not fully understood. But
it might be because the carbohydrate and protein in food affects the synthesis of brain neurotransmitters
especially serotonin or due to learning factors, e.g. an earlier association of pleasurable, non-anxious
situations with feeding. They hypothesised that eating and anxiety cannot exist simultaneously, while eating
these emotions are temporarily diminished. Obese people are unable to distinguish between hunger and
anxiety as well as in response to anxiety as well as in response to hunger.

3.4.2. Bruch's theory

This theory proposes that the experience of ‘hunger’ is not innate but learning is needed for its organisation
into recognizable patterns. In case of obese people, incorrect and confusing early experiences had interfered
with their ability to recognize hunger and satiation. And they do not differentiate need for food from other
uncomfortable sensations and feelings.

Both Kaplan and Kaplan and Bruch’s theories reach the same prediction: that obese individuals will overeat
in response to uncomfortable emotional states.

3.4.3. Schachter’s ‘internal/external’ theory of obesity

This proposes that the recognition of a set of psychological cues, including gastric contractions, as ‘hunger’
is a learnt phenomenon and that normal weight people had learnt to label appropriately gastric contractions
as hunger while over-weight people had not. Normal weight people may either increase or decrease their
eating when stressed, while obese people did not decrease it.

Studies’ findings are closer to psychosomatic theories than to Schachter’s theory.

3.4.4. The restrained hypothesis

Researches suggests that the balance between the desire for food and the effort to resist that desire affects
eating behaviours, and restrained is the cognitive effort to resist that desire. Authors postulated a
‘disinhibition hypothesis’: according to which, self control of restrained eaters may be temporarily released
by disrupting events or disinhibitors. People who chronically restrict food intake overeat in the presence of
disinhibitors which include perception of having overeaten, alcohol and stress.
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A test whether film-induced sadness (a state characterised by high negative valence, but low arousal)
enhanced food intake in restrained eaters, found that exposure to sad film segments significantly reduced fod
intake in unrestrained eaters but only increased it non-significantly in restrained eaters. This says that
restrained eaters may not exhibit disinhibited eating when exposed to mood changes that did not threaten
their self-esteem (Canetti, Bachar and Berry, 2001). (Canetti, Bachar, & Berry, 2001).

4. CAN CHANGING WHAT FOODS YOU EAT IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL

HEALTH?

Most common mental disorders that are currently prevalent in numerous countries are depression, bipolar
disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Recent evidence have also suggested a
link between low levels of serotonin and suicide. It is implicated that lower levels of this neurotransmitter
can, in part, lead to an overall insensitivity to future consequences, triggering risky, impulsive and aggressive
behaviours which may culminate in suicide, the ultimate act of inwardly directed impulsive aggression
(Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

Most prescription drugs for these disorders, including the common anti-depressants lead to side effects. This
usually causes the patients to skip taking their medications. In some cases, chronic use or higher doses may
lead to drug toxicity, which may become life threatening to the patient. Thus a better cure to mental disorders
that can overcome the demerits of common drugs is highly in need (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

A notable feature of the diets of patients suffering from mental disorders is the severity of deficiency in
nutrients mainly essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. When we take a close look at the diet
of depressed people, an interesting observation is that their nutrition is far from adequate. They make poor
food choices and selecting foods that might actually contribute to depression (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

An Australian study called the SMILES trial published in January 2018, assigned 31 people to change their
diet, and compared them with 25 who instead received social support, where a trained staffer befriended the
person and either discussed topics they were interested in or did an activity with them they enjoyed, like
playing card games. It found that 32 percent of those who changed their diets went into remission from their
depression, while only 8 percent of those in the control group did. The diet had a more traditional pattern,
with lots of whole foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, some legumes and fish, moderate amounts of red
meat, and less processed food. Another similar study in which the diet included more nuts or more diverse
vegetables were all related to lower rates of depression. The healthy diet was not given as a substitute but
was added to the existing treatments, which included medication and therapy (Vanessa, 2010). Another study
suggested that high consumption of meat could be associated with risk of developing depression.
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Thus, an alternate and effective way for psychiatrists to overcome noncompliance of drugs and other
medications is to familiarize themselves about alternative or complementary nutritional therapies.

Nutritional neuroscience is an emerging discipline shedding light on the fact that nutritional factors are
intertwined with human cognition, behaviour, and emotions.  On the basis of accumulating scientific
evidence, an effective therapeutic intervention is emerging, namely nutritional supplement/treatment. These
may be appropriate for controlling and to some extent, preventing depression, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, eating disorders and anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADD/ADHD), autism, and addiction (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

Although further research needs to be carried out to determine the best recommended doses of most
nutritional supplements in the cases of certain nutrients, psychiatrists can recommend doses of dietary
supplements based on previous and current efficacious studies and then adjust the doses based on the results
obtained by closely observing the changes in the patient. The need of the present paradigm is, more studies
shedding light on the daily supplemental doses of these neurochemicals that should be consumed to achieve
antidepressant effects (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.1. Depression

Depression is a disorder associated with major symptoms such as increased sadness and anxiety, loss of
appetite, depressed mood, and a loss of interest in pleasurable activities. It is the leading cause of disability
worldwide, affecting about 121 million people (World Health Organization (WHO, 2008).

4.1.1. Which nutrients can help?

 Deficiencies in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, and γ-aminobutyric acid

(GABA) are often associated with depression. As reported in several studies, the amino acids tryptophan,
tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine are often helpful in treating many mood disorders including
depression (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.Role of certain nutrients in curing mental illness.

4.2.1. Carbohydrates

Eating a meal which is rich in carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin in the body. Insulin helps let
blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy and simultaneously it triggers the entry of tryptophan
to brain. Tryptophan in the brain affects the neurotransmitters levels. Also the production of serotonin is also
triggered by carbohydrate (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).
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It is suggested that low glycemic index (GI) foods such as some fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pasta,
etc. are more likely to provide a moderate but lasting effect on brain chemistry, mood, and energy level than
the high GI foods - primarily sweets - that tend to provide immediate but temporary relief (Sathyanarayana,
et al. 2008).

4.2.2. Proteins

Foods containing all essential amino acids include meats, milk and other dairy products, and eggs. . Plant
proteins such as beans, peas, and grains may be low in one or two essential amino acids. Protein intake and
in turn the individual amino acids can affect the brain functioning and mental health. Many of the
neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. E.g. neurotransmitter dopamine is made from the
amino acid tyrosine (also sometimes from its precursor phenylalanine) and the neurotransmitter serotonin is
made from the tryptophan. When consumed alone on an empty stomach, tryptophan, a precursor of
serotonin, is usually converted to serotonin. Hence, tryptophan can induce sleep and tranquillity. This
implies restoring serotonin levels lead to diminished depression precipitated by serotonin deficiencies.
Tyrosine and sometimes its precursor phenylalanine are converted into dopamine and norepinephrine.
Dietary supplements containing phenylalanine and/or tyrosine cause alertness and arousal. Methionine
combines with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which facilitates the
production of neurotransmitters in the brain. If there is a lack of any of these amino acids, there will not be
enough synthesis of the respective neurotransmitters, which is associated with low mood and aggression in
the patients (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

As reported in several studies, the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and methionine are often
helpful in treating many mood disorders including depression. When consumed alone on an empty stomach,
tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin, is usually converted to serotonin. Hence, tryptophan can induce sleep
and tranquillity. This implies restoring serotonin levels lead to diminished depression precipitated by
serotonin deficiencies. Tyrosine and sometimes its precursor phenylalanine are converted into dopamine and
norepinephrine. Dietary supplements containing phenyl alanine and/or tyrosine cause alertness and arousal.
Methionine combines with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), which
facilitates the production of neurotransmitters in the brain (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

But, it is very important to note that, the excessive buildup of amino acids may also lead to brain damage and
mental retardation. For example, excessive buildup of phenylalanine in the individuals with disease called
phenylketonuria can cause brain damage and mental retardation (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.3. Essential fatty acids

4.2.3.1.Omega- 3 fatty acids
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The brain is one of the organs with the highest level of lipids (fats). Brain lipids ( polar phospholipids,
spingolipids, and cholesterol) composed of fatty acids are structural constituents of membranes in cells of
brain. It has been estimated that gray matter contains 50% fatty acids that are polyunsaturated in nature
(about 33% belong to the omega-3 family).  An important trend has been observed from the findings of some
recent studies that lowering plasma cholesterol by diet and medications increases depression. Among the
significant factors involved are the quantity and ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
(PUFA) that affect serum lipids and alter the biochemical and biophysical properties of cell membranes. It
has been hypothesized that sufficient long chain PUFAs, especially DHA, may decrease the development of
depression (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

The two omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which the body converts into docosahexanoic
acid (DHA), found in fish oil, have been found to elicit antidepressant effects in human. Many of the
proposed mechanisms of this conversion involve neurotransmitters. For instance, antidepressant effects may
be due to bioconversion of EPA to leukotrienes, prostaglandins, and other chemicals required by the brain.
Others hypothesize that both EPA and DHA influence neuronal signal transduction by activating
peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), inhibiting G-proteins and protein kinase C, in addition
to calcium, sodium, and potassium ion channels (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

In depressed patients, daily consumption of dietary supplements of omega-3 fatty acid that contain 1.5-2 g of
EPA has been shown to stimulate mood elevation. Nevertheless, doses of omega-3 higher than 3 g do not
show better effects than placebos and may be contraindicative in cases, such as those taking anticlotting
drugs (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

One to two grams of omega-3 fatty acids taken daily is the generally accepted dose for healthy individuals,
but for patients with mental disorders, up to 9.6 g has been shown to be safe and effective (Sathyanarayana,
et al. 2008).

4.2.4. Vitamins

According to a study reported in Neuropsychobiology, supplementation of nine vitamins, 10 times in excess

of normal recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for 1 year improved mood. This mood improvement was
particularly associated with improved vitamin B2 and B6 status (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.4.1.B-complex vitamin

Randomized, controlled trials that involve folate and vitamin B12 suggest that patients treated with 0.8 mg
of folic acid/day or 0.4 mg of vitamin B12/day will exhibit decreased depression symptoms
(Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).
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A controlled study has been reported to have shown that 500 mcg of folic acid enhanced the effectiveness of
antidepressant medication. But, It is not clear yet whether poor nutrition, as a symptom of depression, causes
folate deficiency or primary folate deficiency produces depression and its symptoms (Sathyanarayana, et al.
2008).

4.2.4.2.Vitamin D

 Studies implicate that exercising outdoors in the sunshine, eating foods rich in vitamin D, and/or taking
dietary supplements to improve vitamin D deficiency could improve one’s mental well being . This thus,
would be a simple and cost-effective solution for many who are at risk for depression and possibly other
mental disorders (Penckofer, et al. 2010).

4.2.5. Minerals
4.2.5.1.Magnesium

It is seen through several case studies where patients were treated with 125-300 mg of magnesium (as
glycinate or taurinate) with each meal and at bedtime led to rapid recovery from major depression in < 7
days for most of the patients (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.5.2.Iron

Iron deficiency is found in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and people with depression
(Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.5.3.Lithium

The therapeutic use of lithium also includes its usage as an augmenting agent in depression, aggression,
impulse control disorder, eating disorders, ADDs, and in certain subsets of alcoholism. But adequate care has
to be taken while using lithium, in the mentally ill, paediatric, pregnant, lactating and geriatric population
(Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.5.4.Selenium

Intervention studies with selenium with other patient populations reveal that selenium improves mood and
diminishes anxiety (Sathyanarayana, et al. 2008).

4.2.5.5.Zinc

 At least five studies have shown that zinc levels are lower in those with clinical depression. Furthermore,
intervention research shows that oral zinc can influence the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy. Zinc
also protects the brain cells against the potential damage caused by free radicals (Sathyanarayana, et al.
2008).
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TABLE 1

Mental Disorders and Alternative Treatments

Mental Disorder Proposed Cause Treatment

Major Depression Serotonin deficiency Tryptophan

Dopamine/Noradrenaline deficiency Tyrosine

GABA deficiency GABA

Omega-3 deficiency Omega-3s

Folate/Vitamin B deficiency Folate/Vitamin B

Magnesium deficiency Magnesium

SAM deficiency SAM

Bipolar Disorder Excess acetylcholine receptors Lithium orotate & taurine

Excess vanadium Vitamin C

Vitamin B/Folate deficiency Vitamin B/Folate

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L-Tryptophan deficiency L-Tryptophan

Choline deficiency Lecithin

Omega-3 deficiency Omega-3s

Schizophrenia Impaired serotonin synthesis Tryptophan

Glycine deficiency Glycine

Omega-3 deficiency Omega-3s

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder St. John’s Wort deficiency St. John’s Wort

Note: Adapted from Lakhan, S. E., & Viera, K.F. (2008). Nutritional therapies for mental
disorders. Nutrition Journal, 7(2): doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-2.

GABA = gamma-aminobutyric, SAM = S-adenosylmethionine

5. EMOTIONAL EATING

Emotional eating is also associated with obesity (Geliebter & Aversa, 2003; Ozier et al., 2008). One study
induced negative and neutral moods in college students and found that negative moods caused greater
self-reported emotional eating compared with neutral moods (Bekker, van de Meerendonk, & Mollerus,
2004).

6. EATING DISORDER –THEY CAN KILL

Eating disorder is a medical illness. The need to know more about relation between eating disorder and
emotions grew with the increase in eating disorders and obesity. Eating disorders occurs because of
inadequate and excessive food intake that damage the well being of an individual. They can develop at any
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stage of life typically in teens and young adults.They usually coexist with anxiety disorder, substance abuse
and depression. The rate of eating disorder has been increasing in western cultures since 1950s.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml. Being underweight, overweight or
having a Body Mass Index (BMI) not normal, may be due to eating disorders. And India is home to 40% of
global underweight population and also India is among top 5 in obesity. Common eating disorders are
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

6.1.Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. It is the third most chronic
disease after asthma and type 1 diabetes.
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders

The patients are filled with obsessive fear of gaining weight. They refusal to maintain a healthy body weight
and are found to have unrealistic perceptions of body image. Patients limit their food intake and view
themselves as overweight even if they are underweight or normal. They also experience brain and multiple
organ damage, heart difficulties etc. ( https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml)

6.2.Bulimia nervosa

It involves repeated binge eating followed by behaviours that compensate for the overeating such as forced
vomiting, excessive exercise, using laxatives and diuretics etc. patients fear weight gain and feel severely
unhappy with body size and shape. Binge eating is done in secret creating feeling of shame or guilt because
of lack of control. Other problems include electrolyte imbalance, severe dehydration and heart failure.
(https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml)

BED is more than three times more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. BED is also more
common than breast cancer, HIV, and schizophrenia (
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders)

6.3.Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

In this disorder the patients lose control of their eating and binge eating is not compensated for. The patients
become obese and have increased cardiovascular disease. Multiple studies have found that dieting was
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associated with greater weight gain and increased rates of binge eating in people. This is because they lose
their self control during diet as they don’t enjoy it.

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders

7. OBESITY

Obesity is characterized by excess body weight. Being obese significantly increases one's risk of death from
hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and other conditions. People with a BMI ranging from 18.5 to 25 have
optimal weight, a BMI lower than 18.5 suggest that an individual is underweight, while a BMI higher than
25 indicates that the person is overweight. An individual with a BMI of 30 or more is considered to be
suffering from obesity.

Obesity as a neurobehavioral disorder has been tied to various psychological traits such as increased
attention to food, increased reinforcing value of food, emotional eating, disinhibition, and binge eating.
These traits appear to represent different manifestations (severity) of a single factor, uncontrolled eating.
Indeed, much of the variation in BMI in the population may be related to reduced voluntary control over
eating choices. This places obesity within the realm of disorders of decision-making. A second piece of
evidence is that much of the recent rise in the incidence of obesity appears to be attributable to the lower cost
of food and that obesity due to unhealthy energy-dense diets targets lower income groups (Dangher, et al.
2017).
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Note: Adapted from http://www.healthdata.org/infographic/obesity-and-overweight-increasing-worldwide

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8. WHO IS TO BE BLAMED FOR SUCH A RISE IN EATING DISORDERS?

8.1.Junk foods are they addictive?

An interesting study was carried out at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida. The test subjects were rats,
not people. The study tried to answer questions like, why some people have such a difficult time controlling
their food intake in the face of extensive publicity about the horrors of obesity and if it is because their body
chemistry has somehow gone awry.

They fed one cohort of rats the usual rat chow while another group was allowed to feast on sausage, bacon
and cheesecake to their heart’s delight. Actually their hearts probably were not delighted by the onslaught of
fat, but that was not the point of this study. As one might expect, the rats on the fatty diet ballooned. All the
animals were fitted with electrodes implanted in the brain designed to monitor the activity of their pleasure
centres. No great surprise, the rats dining on the fat feast got a great deal of pleasure. Their brain neurons
were pumping out more and more dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Dopamine fits into
so-called dopamine receptors, much like a key fits a lock. When the fit is right, pleasure is sensed. And then
a strange thing happened. The rats’ nervous system reacted to the increased levels of dopamine by curbing
the activity of the receptors. Sort of a protective physiological reaction to an abnormal level of dopamine
activity was seen. In response they ate more, their bodies subconsciously wanting to produce more dopamine
to counter the poor receptor activity. Even subjecting the animals to electric shocks when they approached
the food was not a deterrent. This was similar to addiction. The chemistry here is very similar to that of
cocaine addiction. Cocaine increases the stimulating activity of dopamine, which in turn provides so much
pleasure that people are unable to give up the drug. The cocaine or the junk food addictions are based on not
wanting to give up the pleasure associated with the activity and there are no serious physical symptoms
associated with withdrawal of the substance. This can be very powerfully addictive psychologically.

The researchers went on to prove their point by cleverly using a virus to down-regulate dopamine receptors
in healthy normal weight rats and noting their increased appetite for junk foods. This study suggests that the
pleasure we get out of eating fatty foods can be addictive. Other several neurological imaging studies
also show ways that loss of control over eating and obesity produce changes in the brain which are similar to
those produced by drug abuse (Phil, 2009).

Pastries, ice cream, pizza, hamburgers, French fries fall into that category of being dopamine releasers.
Nobody talks about being addicted to broccoli, apples or oat bran. But since humans have a brain capable of
making intelligent decisions junk food can be limited if it poses a challenge (Joe Schwarcz, 2017).

Scientists have also found that a spoonful of the cold stuff lights up the same pleasure centre in the brain as
winning money or listening to your favourite music. Neuroscientists at the Institute of Psychiatry in London
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scanned the brains of people eating vanilla ice cream. They found an immediate effect on parts of the brain
known to activate when people enjoy themselves (Adam, 2005).

Food addicts frequently experience what is referred to as euphoric recall—remembering the good
experiences of taste and the mitigation of pain, but forgetting the negative emotional and physical
consequences. They also suffer obsessions of the mind, such as rationalizing the eating of addictive foods
and/or bingeing based on irrational thoughts. Finally, they encounter what are often called mental blank
spots, unexplained absences of any logical thinking that would serve to prevent one from engaging in
behaviors known in the past to inflict pain (Phil, 2009).

The goal of most of the food manufacturing companies is to make food that is simply irresistible. For this
these companies conduct researches to know how we are attracted to food and how they can make their
foods attractive to consumers. Thus these products are carefully engineered combinations of the salt, sugar
fat and chemicals. The relation between taste receptors and corresponding chemical reactions in the brain are
studied so that they could replicate the aroma or the chemical reaction that may happen on our tongue while
eating the food without the real ingredient being present. The three main ingredients are salt, sugar and fat.
Sugar gives happiness, fat gives mouth feel, and salt gives flavour burst.

Another important part of the body is the mouth. The way food breaks between the teeth, the pressure of the
bite force, the sound of the crunch etc do affect our attraction to the food. The sound of the crunch as you
bite is amplified because our jaw bones are connected to our ears. This helps draw your attention to what you
are eating (CBC News: the National, 2013).

Sensory-Specific Satiety (SSS) is a method called sensory-specific satiety that can trigger our brain to stop
eating. Sensory specific satiety (SSS) describes the temporary decline in pleasure associated with a food as it
is eaten relative to a food that has not been eaten (the 'eaten' and 'uneaten' foods, respectively) (CBC News:
the National, 2013). A research study suggests that sensory-specific satiety in humans reflects a decrease in
both food liking and food wanting (Havermans et al., 2009).

But still we find such foods addictive. This is because of the Vanishing Caloric Density i.e. the brain is
fooled into thinking that the calories have vanished as the food melts in our mouth. E.g. Cheetos (CBC
News: The National, 2013)

9. HOW CAN OBESITY RATES BE REDUCED?

“No one sits down to eat a plate of nutrients. Rather, when we sit down for a meal, we are seeking physical
as well as emotional and psychological nourishment.” – Block et al.
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A proposed framework by Sacks (2009) suggests that policy actions to the development and implementation
of effective public health strategies to obesity prevention should (1) target the food environments, the
physical activity environments and the broader socioeconomic environments; (2) directly influence behavior,
aiming at improving eating and physical activity behaviors; and (3) support health services and clinical
interventions. 

It is implicated through studies that traditional fast food meals are indeed energy dense. In terms of kilo joule
intake alone, a traditional fast food meal can be incorporated reasonably into a daily intake without
necessarily promoting obesity. Health professionals should educate consumers of the simple ‘healthy’
choices they can make when eating fast food. (Brindal, et al. 2008).

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