Worldwide, more than one billion people are overweight, and over one million of those are children. According to one recent study, obesity has doubled in nearly half of all countries since 1980, and there are now actually more adults who are obese than those who are underweight.
So what has changed? The traditional diet of real food produced by local farmers has been replaced by ultra-processed food that is designed to be over-consumed, and is even addictive. These processed foods cause blood sugar imbalances, in addition to leading the brain to release feel-good chemicals that provoke even more cravings. They raise blood sugar quickly and in the subsequent crash, create cravings for that same kind of food again. In fact, scientific evidence has shown that these junk foods, which are generally high in sugar, fat and salt, have similar neurological effects to hard drugs.
Yet it isn’t simply the ingredients in these foods, but the combinations of sweeteners, fat, salt, flours, and caffeine, which have been extracted and concentrated by modern processing that create the lure. A bottle of oil and a cup of salt, or sugar is not very appealing until they are combined and added to other ingredients.
Another study revealed that over 90% of its participants had addictive-like eating behavior towards processed foods with high amounts of fat, added sugar or sodium. Although the participants wanted to quit eating them, they were unable to do so. However, the least addictive foods were found to be the whole, unprocessed foods. It is probably a rarity to find broccoli on a list of binge items.
Unfortunately, the future looks even more bleak for children, as research is demonstrating that by eating these nutrient poor foods, the resulting childhood malnutrition can lead to permanent metabolic changes, reprogramming the body so that it more readily turns excess calories into body fat. This is simply the way the body responds to what is perceived as starvation.
The scary news is that these highly processed food diets are harming those who consume them, making them sick, overweight, and addicted. Yet, this cycle can be broken by learning better eating, exercise, and lifestyle strategies.
CardioMender, MD Weight Loss Specialists is South Florida’s most trusted medically supervised weight loss program. We provide customized, safe, rapid weight loss and the means to keep it off. At CardioMender,MD a doctor is ALWAYS available. Start losing weight today, under the supervision of Chief Medical Officer Barry H. Schiff, MD, a board certified, 32-year veteran, Internist and Board-Certified Cardiologist. Dr. D. Allen Young is a board-certified obesity medicine physician and internist.
To find out more about how we can help you reach your goals while learning how to break the cycle of food addiction, please visit us at www.cardiomenderweightloss.com or call us at 954-628-3802 to set up your appointment today.
