All individuals always fight to satisfy hunger. Although in many uncontrolled cases, poor eating habits have led to many personal and health problems. Hunger and appetite are both psychological and biological. On the other hand, the quantity of food consumed does not determine satiety; rather, it is the quantities of nutrient consumed. Problems that result due to poor eating habits include hypertension diabetes and heart ailments. Most of these ailments result from obesity, a complication resulting from excessive eating (Read, 1992, p.2-5). This paper will discuss hunger, satiety and related disorders.
Physiological factors for hunger and eating
Individuals eating behaviors result from interaction of three factors namely: hunger appetite and satiety. Hunger is a biological drive that prompts an individual to find food. Appetite is the desire to consume food. Through appetite, individuals are able to control their body metabolic needs. Hunger activates the metabolic process and gastrointestinal contractions where as eating causes satiety, through the activation of inhibitors that control satiation. In order to prevent over eating, satiety has to obey all signals received from the body’s chemical and biological senses. In addition, mechanical process in the body, for example, swallowing and gastric enlargements helps to activate satiety signals. Chemoreception of food taken, changing blood glucose and peptides helps the body to trigger maximum satiety (Salaman, 1991, pp. 254-268). The stomach acts as the main receptor of all foods taken. Chemical digestion and absorption primarily takes place in the small intestines. The body uses two processes to control the eating patterns. Decline in input (originating from gastric tension receptors) makes individuals to be hungry. Although note should be taken, because research results show that only a few people feel hungry when food absorption starts. In addition, the moving of lipid components into the duodenum helps individuals to reduce degree of hunger and ingestion. Studies also have shown that, the receptor contacts with nutrients helps individuals to control their eating habits. This is associated with the discharge of chemical transmitters by the taste cells of the small intestines (Read, 1992, pp.3-5).
In addition to solid food, foods rich in water may promote satiation. Although water intake reduces the food calories as compared to fiber foods. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats determine the amounts of calories in food. Of this three, fats are the hardest for the body to digest hence; excess ingestion of fats may promote prolonged satiety (United States potato board, (n.d), p.2).
Human beings have a selective pattern in their eating habits. Depending on the amount of the positive incentive, which depends on food taste? The varying nature of human tastes is an adaptive characteristic. For example, delicious foods have high positive incentives, hence in most cases individuals will, maximize any available opportunity and eat to their fill. Human beings have adaptive mechanisms to accept foods that have high calorie content and reject foods that may result in infections. In addition to the selective mechanism, culture in some cases determines the taste preference (United States potato board, (n.d.), and p.1).
Diet deficiencies also play an important role in shaping the eating habits of individuals. Animals have a selection mechanism on foods with vitamins and mineral salts. Two dietary patterns influence diet selection: the sodium and other minerals shortages. When animals lack sodium in their system, there is a tendency of developing strong preference to sodium salts. This contrasts with the vitamin and other mineral deficiency. This is because; animals that lack other minerals and vitamins in their bodies must learn to consume foods rich in the vitamins and those particular minerals. The positive effects of such shortages influence the learning pattern. Animals must learn to respond to such shortages, because the body has no fixed detecting mechanism on them. The lack of a detecting mechanism by the body relates to human beings eating styles. Human beings consume varied food samples everyday. Hence, this makes it almost impossible for the body to recognize important foods and those that are not (Weiten, 2007, pp.564-479).
In addition, sensory specific satiety directs individual’s selection of foods. Individuals on a daily basis consume foods that have enduring sensory satiety, for example bread, sweets and salads. The sensory specific satiety in some cases is associated with the excess consumption of foods, hence the common nature of heating habits of animals (Weiten, 2007, pp. 476-501).
Eating myths
Studies suggest that the ventromedial and lateral sections of the brain’s hypothalamus control eating habits individuals eating habits. There is a belief that a two sided electrolytic lesions control overeating and obesity. The ventromedial hypothalamus has two stages: the dynamic and the static. The dynamic phase is associated with excessive eating and weight gain, whereas the static stage has moderation in eating patterns. On the other hand, the two-sided lesions on the lateral hypothalamus make individuals to stop eating. This myth contradicts research findings on the actual function of the hypothalamus. These two sections of the hypothalamus instead control two body processes: lipogenesis (creation of fats) and lipolysis (breakdown of fats) (Read, 1992, pp.3-5)
There is another believe that, the gastrointestinal tract controls eating behavior. Hunger results from contractions in the stomach and satiety results from the stomach’s distensions. The gastrointestinal tract is the main source of satiety.
There is also that diet controls the amount of food eaten, where by non-dieters eat less than dieters. Research shows that, dieters consume almost the same or more quantities than non-dieters do. People control their eating habits, depending on disrupting triggers, which most dieters are susceptible to, hence the development of the overeating tendency (McCabe, 1999, p.2-4).
Answers to Lindsey and Robert
Lindsey: Obesity is healthy problem that results due to accumulation of fats. Obesity can be inherited from parents, although if proper measures are employed the condition can be reversed. Research has shown that only a few inheritance cases occur in nature. This results from disorders in genes and the endocrine system. Correct dietary control and exercise can really help to control body weight.
Robert: Although individuals may consume the same amount and type of food, life patterns vary. In addition, some other factors contribute to obesity. These include endocrine disruptors, lack of enough sleep, smoking patterns, genetic factors and natural selection of basal metabolic insulin. In addition, variation in the sedentary lifestyle might be the cause of such a problem. It is possible her girlfriend exercises a lot than Nancy, hence the variation in body weight (Bergman, 2008, pp. 2003-2012).
Answers to Nancy and Tyra
Nancy’s condition may be as result of the obsession with the Cosmo magazine’s celebrities. Most of the celebrities featured are slim and seem to have nice shapes, which many youths admire. To Tyra there is a likelihood of her suffering from anorexia.
Many young people in most cases are very conscious on how their bodies look. In most cases, this occurs when they are undergoing puberty and many other physical changes in life. Due to social influences, many of the youth face pressures; hence, making them to develop eating disorders. Most of these influences originate from peers, role models and celebrity icons, whom the youth respect very much. Most of the people suffering from anorexia dread weight, and change in body shapes. Hence, the always fight to make reduce their body weight. Many individuals opt to fast or do excessive exercises, because they take it to be their only remedy (Matsumoto & Herrin, 2007, p.30-33).The Recognition and acceptance of this condition plays a very important role in reducing many complications, which may result in advanced stages.
In conclusion, due to the adverse nature of complications resulting from uncontrolled food consumption, individuals must be conscious about their weight changes. In addition, the control measures that individuals apply should not strain the body, but should promote healthy growth.
Reference
Bergman, R. N. (2008). Obesity. A research journal, 17(11): 2003-2013)
Matsumoto, N., and Herrin, M. (2007). The parents guide: supporting self esteem, healthy eating and positive body image at home. Carlsbad: Gurze Books.
McCabe, R. E. (1999). Exposing the diet myth: diet make you eat less. Web.
Read, N. W. (1992). Role of gastrointestinal factors in hunger and satiety in man. Web.
Salaman, P. (1991). Regulation of hunger and satiety in man. Web.
United States potato board. (n.d). hunger appetite and satiety. Web.
Weiten, w. (2007). Psychology themes and variations. New York: Wadsworth publishing.