Food intake

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Control of our food intake is the basis behind successful weight loss CONTROL OF FOOD INTAKE   There are many physiological and Psychological mechanisms which are thought to contribute to the control of our food intake. Most if which are thought to be co-ordinated through the integration of various complex systems involving parts of the brain, stomach, liver, hormones and other chemicals within the blood.  More research is needed into these complex processes to enable us to fully understand the detailed workings behind them. The following list shows some of the simpler control mechanisms that we do understand, some are within our control but others are determined by our genetics.       BODY WEIGHT -  Heavier people tend to have a higher food intake which is believed to be due to the increased energy expenditure associated with increased body mass. An individual with naturally more bone mass, muscle mass and general cells create a need for the bulk to be maintained and usually results in a larger person having a stronger appetite. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY -  Research has shown that people have a higher food intake when physical activity is increased, however it does depend on the type of activity. Someone who has a labour-intensive job - such as in the construction industry - will have an appetite closely linked to their physical expenditure. Someone who works at a computer all day but manages to participate in regular activities in their spare time will regulate appetite and help limit excess food consumption ( another reason why regular exercise is important! ). It is also interesting to note that people who become inactive will gradually lose control over their appetite, this often leads to excess calorie consumption. METABOLISM - People with naturally high metabolic rates often possess a big appetite. Increasing the metabolism through proper technique should not affect food intake much. HORMONES -  Some hormones are thought to regulate appetite, the most common known is insulin. Insulin triggers hunger as blood sugar levels fall - its the way our body encourages us to eat sugar and stabilise blood sugar levels once again. This fact is partly the basis behind the low-carbohydrate diets that are popular at the moment, however its not so much the insulin that makes an individual overweight its more to do with consuming too much energy!! ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE -   A cold climate often makes people eat more and a hot temperature has shown to reduce the appetite. Ever been on holiday in a hot country and  realised your not eating as much as you do when at home, also most people on holiday tend to be more active with walking ( site-seeing or the beach ), swimming or general activities. It can however go the opposite way as there are some who go on holiday and just lounge around, drink alcohol and eat rich, expensive meals. This is a good example of how psychological factors can influence other controls!! PALATABILITY -  Palatability of food will have an effect on appetite and thus food intake. Palatability is usually associated with variety in the diet and research has shown that more variety of food results in increased consumption. A simple example is at a buffet or banquet where there is lots of appetising food on display. The look and smell of all that delicious food makes most people want to try a little of all what's there even if they feel full. Many of the foods and products on supermarket shelves today are designed to "zap" our taste buds so we crave for them more often, unfortunately increasing a foods palatability very often means more fat content! PLEASURE -  Eating is associated with pleasure, we get pleasure from looking at food, buying it, cooking it and of course eating it. The pleasure stops when it ceases to be enjoyable, ever been so full that the thought of food would make you ill. Its such a shame sometimes that this ill feeling actually diminishes!! PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS -   Psychological factors can have a major influence on people's food intake. Some may even go to extremes for example with anorexia nervosa individuals purposely starve themselves due to certain beliefs. Some of our eating behaviour is associated with emotional needs. Stress for example may drive some people to eat more yet some will eat less under stress. The influence of our mind on food intake is subject to our emotional needs and the value we place on food!! SOCIAL INFLUENCES - Social influences can also have an effect on eating habits. People will often eat out of habit, meal-times for example is a daily occasion and all family members will eat even if they are not hungry! Christmas is another family occasion which usually involves an overindulgence with food, we drink more and eat more than ever and our excuse is always "well its Christmas!"  Many social events revolve around eating, drinking or both. Think about any past social event in your life did you overindulge, if so try to think why?       Please read our Terms of use! Further reading on food & nutrition to help lose weight Controlling food intake is an important factor for losing weight Hunger drives the desire to eat food, control hunger effectively Here is a useful food calories list of calorie content of food Basic nutrition help for increased energy to lose weight Learn how to combine different protein sources to produce high quality protein intake Daily Fat intake of saturated fats polyunsaturated fats lose weight List of foods low in calories Carbohydrate intake each day Lists of food high in simple carbohydrates Lists of food high in complex carbs Can carbohydrate make us fat? Nutrition  Facts on different fast  foods Components that make up the balanced diet Foods with the best protein content Alcohol  and losing weight Foods help lose weight effectively List of foods with negative calories Benefits of eating fruit to lose weight Benefits of eating vegetables & losing weight Healthy lowfat recipes to help form healthy diet Potato chips List of recipes low in calories Low Calorie Soup recipes grams ounces weight conversion Best foods for losing weight Questions on food & dieting   NUTRIENTS IN FOODS Nutrition List of food sources rich in iron List of potassium rich food sources Benefits of drinking water for weight loss & energy levels Effects of high sodium intake on body weight Low calorie desserts for the occasional treat Amounts of fat in different Fish Fat content in Chicken sources Fat in common mcdonalds foods Fat content of beef Carbohydrates simple & complex Carbohydrates in alcoholic drinks Carbohydrates in different Fruit Carbohydrates in different Vegetables Carbohydrates in banana Carbohydrates in Wine Carbohydrates in different beer Protein in different Meals High protein content Protein combinations Protein in different Vegetables Protein in Rice Protein Peas Protein in Meat Protein different Fish Protein Steak Protein in Chicken Protein in Tuna Protein Nuts Protein in Eggs Protein in Milk Protein in Cheese Protein in Bread Protein Pasta Protein Tofu Protein Intake   More weight loss articles List topics to lose weight All tools and information on this site are intended as an aid to help healthy adults lose weight and not intended as medical advice. The information presented here is not for pregnant or breast-feeding women or for any person under the age of 18. If you suffer or think you may suffer from any medical condition you should consult your doctor before starting any weight loss exercise regime. Any weight loss exercise programs or diet should be started slowly and we advise you to always consult your doctor or physician beforehand.

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