Millions of people across the world are overweight, with thousands already obese! Often, the reason behind this condition is that these people tend to over eat food rich in fats and carbohydrates – the delicious foods like chocolates, ice creams, cakes, various desserts, and meat dishes. These food get stored as fats in the body.
Now, humans are logical beings, of course. So, if that is the case, why can’t we just tell ourselves to stop eating when we are not hungry anymore?
When the Hungry–Full System Goes Bonkers
AsapScience explains that our bodies produce specific chemicals that signal the brain whenever we are hungry and whenever we are already full. However, the system can go bonkers, leading to the person eating more even when the stomach is quite filled with food already.
This could be attributed to the fact that delicious foods also create signals to the brain that make you feel happy. Considering how you want to feel that burst of happiness again and again, you tend to overeat and indulge yourself in these tasty foods.
Our Hunter-Gatherer Bodies
Humans these days are so different compared with what our ancestors had been in the past: hunter-gatherers. These days, we no longer have to rely on basic skills like hunting for meat and gathering various food from the forest because all kinds of food are readily available for us to buy from supermarket shelves and in the local markets.
Now, how does this relate to the perennial problem of overeating?
Well, as you might have already noticed, we often prefer foods that are rich in fats and carbohydrates. In fact, we tend to indulge ourselves in these rather tasty treats, which soon lead to weight issues that are so difficult to shake off!
According to AsapSCIENCE, our bodies are wired the same way as our hunter-gatherer forefathers; thus, these treats are especially easy to indulge in because our bodies want to take as much of these food to store just in case we can’t find more. Of course, that is a silly notion considering how different our lives are now compared with the hunter-gatherers of the past!
Watch the explanation by AsapSCIENCE here:
