The reasons that lead us to overeat

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This holiday season our taste buds are in the spotlight! Foie gras, wine and champagne galore … plenty is essential. Reunited with our loved ones, we have so much to taste! We eat for the pleasure of the senses and the pleasure of being with our own.

Without taking into account this very special time of year, are we eating until we are truly full? That is the question!

The satiety of an “average person”

How many kilograms of food must a person eat in order to be full?

A human being eats about 1 kg and a half of food per day. However, a large part of the population eats beyond their needs. The proof ? This figure: 30% of the world’s population is obese . What is most alarming is that this percentage is only tending to increase. Indeed, populations considered “thin” are concerned by overconsumption and obesity. For example, in China the number of overweight people has tripled in recent years due to high calorie overeating, lack of physical activity and computers.

Why are we eating too much?

Food availability

We like to eat good things every day. This implies well filled and colorful plates, a full fridge and a high availability of food. Our closets are plentiful and easily accessible.

We eat to taste, to savor, to spend time, out of habit or out of fear of being hungry later.

Being with family or friends

When we are at the table with close people, we are distracted and this prevents us from recognizing when to stop eating. On the other hand, alcohol makes food tastier and people are more likely to overeat.

To avoid waste

Many people have in mind that they have to finish their plate because there is famine in the world. It is true that 1 in 6 people suffers from malnutrition and that everyone is concerned by waste (farmers, distributors and consumers) but between famine and the famous “you have to finish your plate” he there is a world. Just because other people can’t eat properly doesn’t mean we have to force ourselves to eat.

You no longer know how to listen to your body

And yet the concept is simple: We are hungry, our brain is sending us a signal (or signals), we seek food and we eat it until we are full.

Today the biggest difficulty is to recognize your real hunger and real satiety . Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Yes, if you are hungry! no need to force yourself! Regarding satiety, it occurs about 20 minutes after the start of the meal and is rather easy to identify: feeling of satisfaction, distension of the stomach, when the food becomes less good as the meal progresses … On the other hand, when we have nausea or disgust is that we have exceeded our satiety.

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