Binge Eating? New Study May Bring Hope

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Walking down the street there are constant temptations to dig in to a delectable dessert. Normally, one could have a few cookies and ice cream and be satisfied, but what if you came to a point where it seems like you’re never satisfied?

What happens when you can’t stop eating? You may get the munchies! Credit: Nebria Ragland.

Well maybe it is because eating fatty foods may give you the munchies, according to study by pharmacologist Daniele Piomelli of the University of California, Irvine, which was reported online July 5, 2011 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

According to July 8, 2011, Science News, one of the most common eating disorders in the United States today is binge eating, affecting nearly 2 million Americans. Science News describes it as, “the quick consumption of more food than would be expected given the situation in which the eating occurs.” People who are binge eaters feel that the situation is out of control, like they can’t help themselves and often feel guilty after an episode.

According to WebMD, binge eating can lead to obesity and leads to heart disease, certain types of cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.

In this new study, rats were given one of four liquid diets: fat (corn oil), protein, sugar, or a nutrition shake combination of fat, protein, and sugar. The research team measured endocannabinoid activity in the rats’ brain. According to National Institutes of Health, endocannabinoids are protein receptors in the brain that respond to chemical stimuli, in this case fat, and play a key role in numerous physiological processes including appetite.  

“Compared with rats eating sugar or protein alone, rats on the fat diet had a surge of endocannalbinoid activity in their gut…they wouldn’t stop slurping their corn oil,” says Piomelli. Through all this the researchers noticed that when the rats taste fat or consume fatty foods, the encannabnoid responds and tells them to continue eating.

The study suggests that it is hard to stop eating fatty foods. However, binge eaters can lose weight with a little help from therapy.

"Individuals with binge eating, as well as those with other eating disorders, should be treated by a physician, a psychiatrist and a registered dietitian to increase the likelihood of improvement and decrease the risk of further complications," writes Priscilla Rumph, a registered Dietician Graduate Assistant of Saint Louis University, in an email response."This specialized team can then treat the specific cause of the binge eating, provide education on nutritional needs and teach skills for improving nutrition to meet long-term needs." NeBria Ragland

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8 COMMENTS

  1. I didnt know that fatty-foods make you eat continuosly. Its amazing what you can find out just by reading an article. GREAT ARTICLE…..!:good

  2. This was a very good article . I did not know that fatty foods make you crave them more . I also think you should have named a couple foods so people can know some examples .

  3. I did not know that "fatty" foods would make you want to eat more, if that is the case,I think that it just depends on the person that you are.

  4. i am fat and have diabetes and i dont like fatty food at all and i thank that is ofensev to large people so i fell that this shold be tackin down for ofensive agenst large people

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