We have long known the simplest recipe for weight loss: eat less and exercise more. Yet despite our understanding of the causes of weight fluctuation and the serious health risks associated with obesity, our collective weight continues to rise.
Researchers have suggested several potential culprits for the ‘obesity epidemic,’ including genetic predisposition, lack of education, and cultural incentives for unhealthy behaviors (such as time and cost savings). However, none of these factors provides a thorough explanation of the problem. Indeed, most of us, regardless of our specific genes, knowledge, and cultures, can relate to the desire to eat too much, and many of us indulge in this temptation, despite our rational understanding of the disadvantages of doing so.
Though there are likely several factors that lead to obesity, it is generally accepted that the most direct cause for obesity is excessive consumption. Thus, the most universal solution for obesity may intervene in the decision making process by modifying feeding choices. A prerequisite for such a solution is an understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying our decisions regarding food.
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Category(s):Eating Disorders
Source material from Brain Blogger
