Overeating is hard to control? Anti-leptin is at work

The New Year's Day holiday has just passed. During the holiday, there will inevitably be many gatherings and dinners. With more time spent at home, many people will unknowingly eat too much food without realizing it, and they are prone to overeating if they are not careful. Self-control in diet is very difficult for most people. According to a report in the British Daily Mail, if you want to solve the problem of overeating, controlling the secretion of leptin in the body is the key.

Be careful not to develop a binge eating habit if you consume too much sugar. (Photography by Huang Zhiwen)

Robert Lustig, a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, pointed out that a large part of the main cause of overeating is excessive sugar intake. Insufficient leptin secretion in the body can lead to obesity. It is not that obese people do not have enough leptin in their bodies, but that they have developed a "leptin-resistant" phenomenon in their bodies, which prevents the brain from receiving fullness messages and keeps the body in a state of hunger. Therefore, no matter how much they eat, they will not feel full.

As for why the "anti-leptin" phenomenon occurs in the body? A study led by Professor Robert found that the amount of sugar in the body affects insulin secretion, and too much sugar will reduce the insulin concentration in the body, thereby blocking the brain from receiving leptin signals, which will cause people to never feel full no matter how much they eat, thus resulting in overeating.

If you want to prevent this phenomenon from happening in your body and then fall into the crisis of overeating, you can start with a few daily habits:

1. Eat sweets only once a week

Since sugar intake is the main cause of poor eating habits and overeating, the frequency of extra sweets intake should be controlled, and try not to add too much sugar to the seasonings of main meals. Also, do not underestimate some seemingly healthy snacks. For example, low-fat yogurt contains 4 teaspoons of sugar and whole wheat bread also contains 2 teaspoons of sugar.

2. Eat more high-fiber foods

High-fiber foods are an essential source of healthy food for the human body. High fiber can slow down the digestion of food in the stomach and intestines and prevent a sudden increase in blood sugar levels. It also means that the secretion of insulin can be within a stable value. The slowed digestion rate can also give the brain ample time to receive fullness signals and avoid eating too much food.

3. Exercise for 15 minutes every day

Exercise and dieting complement each other and are indispensable if you want to lose weight. Just maintaining a 15-minute exercise habit every day can help improve insulin secretion in the body, making the body's cells more active in receiving insulin, and also promoting muscle growth.

4. Do not eat while standing or walking

Eating while standing will make people want to finish the meal as quickly as possible, causing them to eat too fast and easily lead to indigestion. It is easy to be distracted while eating, and the absorption of the stomach and intestines will also be affected.