Sunday, March 14, 2010
Obesity: The killer combination of salt, fat and sugar
So, we all have a "bliss point", and it doesn't serve us well.
This article might just provide all you need to know about controlling your weight...
This article might just provide all you need to know about controlling your weight...
Former U.S. FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler writes on the U.K. Guardians's website:
"Sugar, fat and salt make a food compelling. They stimulate neurons, cells that trigger the brain's reward system and release dopamine, a chemical that motivates our behaviour and makes us want to eat more. Many of us have what's called a 'bliss point', at which we get the greatest pleasure from sugar, fat or salt. Combined in the right way, they make a product indulgent, high in 'hedonic value'.
During the past two decades, there has been an explosion in our ability to access and afford what scientists call highly 'palatable' foods. By palatability, they don't just mean it tastes good: they are referring primarily to its capacity to stimulate the appetite. Restaurants sit at the epicentre of this explosion, along with an ever-expanding range of dishes that hit these three compass points. Sugar, fat and salt are either loaded into a core ingredient (such as meat, vegetables, potato or bread), layered on top of it, or both. Deep-fried tortilla chips are an example of loading – the fat is contained in the chip itself. When it is smothered in cheese, sour cream and sauce, that's layering.
It is not just that fast food chains serve food with more fat, sugar and salt, or that intensive processing virtually eliminates our need to chew before swallowing, or that snacks are now available at any time. It is the combination of all that, and more."
