Loneliness and longing for food
Food craving -- when you gotta, can't stop it, have-to-have something to eat -- affects around 90% of folks at one time or another. But for some people, it can be a constant tap on the shoulder, driving them to overeat even when they aren't hungry or know they should avoid high-fat, high-calorie food.
Triggers can include outside stimulants like smells or visuals, or it may come from an imbalance in the "feed me" hormone leptin or the neurotransmitter serotonin. And now a study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that loneliness is also a strong trigger.
Researchers took MRIs of women's brains while they looked at images of food. Those who said they felt socially isolated and lonely turned out to show activation in brain areas associated with greater cravings to eat sugary foods and had decreased activation in the brain region associated with self-control of eating behaviors. In addition, those who were lonely and had increased food cravings were also likely to have more body fat and be more prone to depression and anxiety.
If you're caught in a cycle of loneliness, food craving, depression and weight problems, come on over to LongevityPlaybook.com where we can help you build a posse of friends and supporters, find a purpose, and learn effective ways to improve your nutrition and increase physical activity. Plus: Dr. Mike's Cleveland Clinic has adopted "social prescribing" that helps folks find buddies, groups, and passions to combat loneliness. And check out iHerb.com's blog for information on "Resetting Appetite Control."
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
