Live Healthy Live Well

French fries are my vice. No matter how many are served, I will finish them regardless of whether I am full. Afterwards I feel defeated and ashamed. I start out with the best intentions, but then feel powerless. Can it be possible to win against this and other “uncontrollable” behaviors?

YES!

Dr. Kessler, author of The End of Overeating, calls foods high in sugar, fat, and salt rewarding foods. They stimulate the reward center of the brain, the same area associated with drugs and gambling. Just like drugs and gambling, these foods can become an obsession (albeit to a lesser extent). This reward system was beneficial because historically people ate food to sustain life and provide fuel for their bodies. But today people eat because they are “told” to eat by outside influence; these influences are known as cues or action triggers. These action triggers may tell you that you are hungry even though you have just finished eating.

Many of the reasons for overeating extend beyond simply not having the will power to choose the “right foods.” It is not a matter of you failing; it is understanding behaviors and how to change them. With some time and effort, you can eliminate the behaviors you do not want and encourage those you do. To change behaviors:

†  Make affirmations

†  Identify your cues

†  Change your environment

†  Stay positive

An affirmation is a positive declaration stating your intention to change. This prepares you to make a change in your life by consciously writing it down and making it concrete. It should be placed somewhere it can be read daily to remind yourself of your desire to change.

The next step is to identify your cues. These are specific to you and take some effort to manage. Action triggers take many forms and can be very discrete. Once you identify what is cueing your eating behavior, you can change your environment by removing/avoiding these cues.

Typically your environment determines your actions. For example, if you go out to lunch with overeaters it is far more likely you will overeat. Once you determine your temptations, find a more positive environment for change. Surrounding yourself with positive, healthy, fit people and environments will increase your chances of success and provide support when you need it!

Finally, you want to associate positive emotions with the desired behavior. Entering the environment with a positive attitude and confidence will make it more likely you will perform and maintain the behavior. If you correlate encouraging feelings with a behavior or environment, these feelings will stimulate the reward center in your brain, making the new behavior rewarding and keep you coming back!

Prepared by: Susan Zies, Extension Educator, FCS,  OSU Extension Wood County, Erie Basin EERA and Ryan Leone,  OSU Extension, Wood County.

Reviewed by: Cheryl Barber Spires, R.D., L.D.Program Specialist, SNAP-Ed,OSU Extension, West Region

References:

Kessler D. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. New York, NY: Rodale Books; 2009.

Wansink, B. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. New York, NY: Bantam Books; 2006.

Eyles BJ. Fitness Behavior [podcast on the internet]. Christchurch, New Zealand; 2010 [updated 2013 Sept 17; cited 2013 Oct 11]. Available from: http://bevanjameseyles.com/fitness-behavior.