Bigger and Bigger
Why diet drinks are not the answer
Some thoughts on food by Liz Copeland
Everybody knows that too much sweet stuff will put on weight. When we need to lose weight we often turn to low calorie drinks. That has to be better, right?
Well, maybe not.
The brain is used to associating sweetness with calories. This affects the parts of the brain that feel fullness and control appetite. It seems that the brain gets confused when we give it sweetness without calories. The control mechanisms for appetite and metabolism no longer work properly.
The consequence? We may eat more calories after we've had the diet drinks.
Food for thought!
See a discussion on this (with my comments) at Dr Briffa's blog
So we're all getting bigger and it's not our fault
That seemed to be the headline this morning when the Foresight project on obesity was reported.
The obesity project fronted by Sir David King reviews the reasons for the current obesity epidemic. The report itself (Trends and Drivers of Obesity) is very interesting and can be found here.
If you want the short-hand versions it's this - we eat too much and exercise too little.
We don't set out to be fat but that's what happens with the modern lifestyle.
The press seems to have reported this as "we're all getting fat and it's not our fault."
Well it's certainly not our fault that our ancestors were hunter-gatherers who had to eat food whenever it was available. It's not our fault that modern foods are very different to the foods our ancestors ate. It's not our fault that we lead busy lives and need to drive everywhere.
But at the end of the day we are responsible for the food we put into our mouths. We are responsible for the exercise we take, or the choice we make of sagging on the sofa in front of the television.
So at the end of the day, while we are not responsible for our ancient metabolism, we are responsible for the steps we take each day to stay fit and well.
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