What does overeating lead to? It manifests itself with the following symptoms

Overeating is an eating disorder characteristic features which are the absorption of excess food and the inability to stop at the right time.

Causes of overeating

IN modern society Regular or occasional overeating is common to almost everyone. Many people experience the consequences of this disease themselves, but do not always pay attention to them.

Common causes of excess food intake are:

The insensitivity of the human stomach to small changes in the amount of food due to its ability to stretch, so a feeling of fullness appears only 15-20 minutes after a meal;
Loss of selectivity in relation to food, that is, when choosing, people are not guided by usefulness and nutritional value product, but look at it appearance, aroma, availability, ease and speed of preparation. In addition, numerous advertisements influence the human subconscious;
Masking the need for water (thirst) or nutrients under the feeling of hunger. This reason for overeating is due to the fact that food instant cooking which is increasingly used modern people, practically devoid of vitamins, beneficial amino acids, micro- and macroelements;
Giving food a new meaning that differs from the true one (replenishment of energy costs). For example, a business lunch in a restaurant, when it is assumed that all guests will eat, regardless of whether they are hungry;
Psychological overeating. This group includes “eating” stress, bad mood or tragic events, low self-esteem and self-doubt, food as a consolation.

Symptoms of overeating

Having understood the reasons for excessive food consumption, it is necessary to find out the signs of this disorder in order to take timely measures and not lead the situation to obesity.

So, the main symptoms of overeating are as follows:

Weight gain or constant weight fluctuations;
Sleep disturbance. After overeating, it is difficult for the body to fall asleep, because digestive processes continue;
Malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, feeling of discomfort ( increased gas formation and bloating);
Absorbing food at any time, even in the absence of hunger;
Eating more food while maintaining the same daily routine and lifestyle;
Uncontrolled eating, for example, while watching TV or reading. Distractions not only make it difficult to enjoy the aroma and taste of food, but also make it difficult to determine when you are full;
Depression resulting from the above symptoms of overeating.

Nutritionists also identify such psychological manifestations of gluttony as: the desire to eat alone, inner feeling guilt and self-loathing.

Consequences of overeating

The danger of overeating is so serious that doctors insist that you should get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger. Otherwise, metabolic disorders will not keep you waiting, which will affect the functioning of all internal organs.

The first consequences of overeating hit the heart. A person’s weight increases, and with it all organs increase, so the heart has to saturate more space with blood. Heart contractions intensify, and the muscle walls of the human “motor” thicken. As a result, hypertension and blood pressure problems occur.

The second organ that suffers after overeating is the liver. When it exceeds the amount of essential fats, it becomes their direct source. Almost all cells of the body are filled with fat. This seriously affects not only the liver and heart, but also the intestines - the entire intestinal tract suffers. Cases of diseases such as cholecystitis, gastritis, colitis and chronic pancreatitis are becoming more frequent.

Another consequence of overeating is a violation hormonal cycle due to thyroxine deficiency. Women have problems with menstruation, and this threatens infertility. In men, erectile dysfunction occurs.

It is also worth noting that excess weight is additional load on the spine and joints that wear out ahead of time.

How to avoid overeating

You can cope with overeating on your own, but you need to constantly monitor your food intake. Basic rules to follow:

Eat on time, concentrate on food and not be distracted;
Stop all snacking and eat your fill at main meals;
Always eat while sitting, as this helps to stick to the routine and not be distracted during the meal;
Do not turn food into a reward or stimulant; you can find other ways to do this;
Try not to eat in the first 15 minutes after arriving home, since fatigue and hunger are one of the reasons for overeating.

Treatment for overeating

Identifying eating disorders is quite difficult, since shame, denial and secrecy are true companions of these diseases, so the disease can remain undetected for a long time. The disorder is only recognized when a person seeks help for weight loss or wants to get rid of health problems caused by obesity.

There are no studies that diagnose overeating. If this disorder is suspected, the doctor examines the patient's history and prescribes a series of examinations and tests to rule out physical pathologies. If as a result of these manipulations there is no physical illness not identified, the specialist refers the person to a psychologist who can diagnose and treat symptoms of overeating.

If you cannot cope with the disease on your own, you can consult a doctor who will prescribe medications, reducing appetite.

Overeating problem in children

The culprits of eating disorders in children are almost always parents, who at all costs strive to feed the child, even when he does not want to eat at all. After overeating, the baby's stomach stretches and can accommodate much more than necessary. children's body, amount of food.

In addition, adults come up with various distracting maneuvers, for example, feeding the child while playing or watching cartoons, which absolutely should not be done. With this approach, the process of food consumption becomes uncontrollable and automatic, the baby develops a bad habit of snacking while reading a book or watching TV, and all together this leads to obesity.

Negative consequences overeating is obvious, but it is worth noting that not only regular consumption can lead to them large quantity food, but also one-time holiday overeating. You should go on a visit not with the goal of trying all the dishes on the table, but to chat with friends or relatives. It must be remembered that even single excesses permissible quantity food can cause serious health problems.

When experiencing anxiety, we often reach for a chocolate bar, trying to “eat away” troubles. How often do you say: “I can’t do without sweets”? How many times have you reassured yourself while eating an extra cake that “sugar is good for your brain”? Many people believe in addiction to sweets. But does it really exist?

Yana Litvinova / “Health-info”

On women’s forums, you can increasingly find desperate cries from the soul: save me, help me, I can’t help it, I eat a kilogram of buns or chocolate a day (which looks more aristocratic), or maybe both.

Excessive consumption of sweets is one of the causes of caries, acne, unhealthy complexion, constipation, obesity and, of course, the scourge of all women - cellulite. Therefore, it would be wiser to refuse them. But alas, this turns out to be completely impossible. Refusal from the usual amount of rolls and sweets leads to irritability, bad mood, loss of strength, and if all provocative products are removed from the house in advance - a night trip to the store. All in all, inappropriate behavior. So the ladies suffer, realizing the severity of their fall, but they continue to eat. They eat and suffer - vicious circle.

Do we need sweets?

Of course, the body needs nutrients called carbohydrates, the group of which includes all sweets. Despite the fact that in the human body they are present in smaller quantities than proteins and lipids, carbohydrates perform three important functions: energy (the main type of cellular fuel), structural (part of intracellular structures) and protective (play important role in maintaining immunity). The enzymatic process of breaking down sugars in the body () has been well studied - this is the only anaerobic process(passes when there is insufficient oxygen), the end product of which is lactic acid; his biological significance consists in the formation of energy-rich phosphorus compounds. But before this, carbohydrates received with food are broken down in the gastrointestinal tract into monosaccharides, and the latter are already absorbed from the intestine into the blood.

Most of the monosaccharides enter the liver, where glucose is converted into a reserve supply of carbohydrates, which is consumed when the central nervous system is excited. nervous system, and, consequently, with increasing energy costs. In this case, glycogen breaks down and glucose is formed.

By the way, it is known that adrenaline, the stress hormone, helps speed up the process, so the desire to eat something sweet during nervous shock is justified from a biochemical point of view: the body is simply trying to replenish its reserves. Another question is that carbohydrates can also be healthy and unhealthy (as is the case with cakes). Of course, it is much healthier for the body to eat a piece of whole grain bread or a portion brown rice than ice cream, which (who would argue) is much tastier.

Food addictions

In fact, this type of addiction, such as sweet addiction, is not reflected in any classification. Eating disorders are classified as borderline conditions, and are corrected with the help of a psychologist and nutritionist.

For example, they include anorexia - complete or partial refusal of food, leading to sharp decline weight, which is often caused by dysmorphophobic moods, that is, banal dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance.

Or overeating, a disorder that often leads to bulimia nervosa. One hypothesis is that a food may be addictive if it is high in carbon hydrate, which increases the production of serotonin in the brain, which is usually the case. high-calorie foods. Thus, absorbing great amount food, the person allegedly self-medicates. Of course, a diet that lacks tryptophan, from which it is produced, leads to a decrease in mood, but it takes sufficient quantity time. Therefore, the effect of carbon hydrate on mood is quite controversial, in addition, frequent attacks overeating can cause bulimia nervosa, when an ever-growing appetite leads to obesity and, tormented by shame for their gluttony and appearance, patients begin to induce vomiting and take laxatives, struggling with their weight. This disorder is difficult to diagnose because guilt prevents sufferers from seeking help. excessive appetite They hide it from family and friends, and in a crowd, unlike anorexics, it is almost impossible to identify them: their weight is close to normal. The only thing we can assume is a protracted bad skin, sallow complexion, bad teeth and nails.

True, at one time the idea of addiction to chocolate was expressed, allegedly due to the presence in it of products from cocoa beans, close to endogenous cannabinoids. However, along with the expected release of joy hormones and increased positive emotions, eating chocolate can lead to feelings of guilt and depression when overeating. In addition, the concentration in it of the necessary chemical compounds negligible, again, compared to tea or coffee. That is, chocolate addiction as an independent form of addiction also most likely does not exist: the craving for it arises as a result of social taboos. Although this product is tasty, it is very high in calories and in most cases harmful (this is especially true for white and milk chocolate with numerous additives), so it should be eaten in small quantities and without advertising. And a ban, as you know, always only increases desire. Moreover, chocolate chocolate candies- a product surrounded by a romantic halo. Firstly, we know from history that for a long time it was a food for the elite. Secondly, it is customary to give chocolate as a gift love dates.

Concerning psychological dependence from buns and cakes - then it is very doubtful. In some cases, eating sweets is an association game. Still, cake is not an everyday food and is served when you need to celebrate some significant event. So the subconscious can play a bad joke, trying to restore positive emotions already last evening.

Hollywood played a significant role in this. Abandoned, unhappy heroines from romantic films, suffering from unrequited love, upon arriving home, change into an oversized robe, take out a medium-sized bucket of chocolate ice cream from the refrigerator and go to the TV to cure their depression. Of course, the actresses playing them ordinary life They eat only grass, but who remembers that? Everyone, of course, understands everything, but the stereotype works.

Consequences of overeating

Of course, nothing catastrophic will happen to the body from a small dessert once a day, and even vice versa, but if an excessive appetite forces you to consume sweets in incredible quantities, you should consult a nutritionist or psychologist, but first try to analyze your own and think a little about the consequences. If you think that the consequences are out there somewhere and will definitely not affect you, keep in mind that by eating more sweets (especially heavy carbohydrates) than normal, you are at risk and can get:

obesity due to consumption of large amounts of easily digestible carbohydrates and sugary drinks,
metabolic disease,
heart attack,
problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as flour products and chocolate cannot promote intestinal motility,
diabetes mellitus, the cause of which is overload of the pancreas.

And insufficient production of the hormone insulin, which is responsible for the absorption of glucose by cells, leads to increased glucose levels (), but at the same time, the cells of the body (with the exception of insulin-independent organs, which include the brain) are deprived of their main source of energy. This disease has chronic course and leads to disruption of all types of metabolism: carbohydrate, fat, protein, mineral and water-salt.

On this background structural changes in the subcutaneous fat layer, leading to disruption of microcirculation and lymphatic outflow or, more commonly, cellulite looks completely harmless. However, the horrors of this phenomenon are greatly exaggerated by manufacturers of cosmetics, and almost every woman has it. Moreover, in the medical community there is no consensus on this topic; some experts adhere to the point of view that cellulite (in the generally accepted sense of the word) is not a disease and should not be treated. Yes, and caries can be defeated if you properly care for your oral cavity.

IMPORTANT! Completely no carbohydrates human body can't get by. But still try to prefer healthy carbohydrates: durum wheat pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, fruit. According to WHO standards, no more than 10% of calories from sweets should enter the human body. daily value. That is, your serving of sweets should be no more than 200-250 kcal in calorie content.

Curiously, in the late 1990s. A theory has emerged that sweets influence a person’s character. As an example, they cited statistics according to which children who ate a lot of sweets grew up to be quite aggressive people, prone to outbursts of rage. None physiological mechanism, which would confirm this point of view, was not found. Most likely, the reason for the aggression is that the children did not know refusal for anything (since they ate a lot unhealthy treats) and simply grew up to be complete egoists, accustomed to shouting to achieve what they wanted. The theory was not confirmed.

How to curb your appetite?

Because the magic pills have not yet been invented, but the only proven way to prolong youth and longevity is the correct and active image life, your appetite should still be controlled (here, of course, we are talking about relatively healthy people, rather than those whose appetite is controlled by disease).

To stop eating sweets in industrial quantities, you just need to stop eating them, reducing their quantity and switching to more healthy foods. Certainly, perfect option- this is honey (if not), dried fruits, a little dark chocolate, but among confectionery products you can find the least harmful products. For example, marmalade, which contains pectin, which helps remove salts from the body heavy metals(290 kcal/100 g) or marshmallows (not ideal, but better than cakes), which contain protein, iron, phosphorus (300 kcal/100 g). Try making homemade marshmallows yourself (you don’t need sugar at all for this) or grind dried apricots or prunes into a meat grinder and make candies from the mass, rolling them in cocoa or coconut flakes. However, you shouldn’t overindulge in such sweets either - the carbohydrate content (and, therefore, calories) in them is still very high.

What else?

Still craving sweets? Fine. Let's not limit ourselves. Moreover, this will lead to depression. Place a basket of cookies and sweets on the table. Place it!

And now… important condition. If you want to eat something from this basket, put on your sneakers and walk (or jog) about five kilometers. During physical exercise (especially when the “second wind” opens), a powerful release of endorphins occurs. This sensation is strikingly similar to the one that occurs after “eating” chocolate. You will get the same pleasant emotions, but from more useful activity. Try replacing your addiction to sweets with your addiction to movement. The next time you feel unhappy, let your hands reach not for the refrigerator, but for your sports uniform. Well, you yourself know the advantages of this choice.

Why does a person eat? The answer is obvious, of course, to maintain the body in working condition, to replenish vital reserves important substances and their energy resources. Why does a person overeat? It would seem absurd, why eat more than the body needs? However, the problem of overeating in developed countries is quite acute; in terms of the level of harm that overeating causes to the body, it can be compared with smoking and drinking alcohol, and this is not an exaggeration, since overeating entails consequences, in some cases, much more serious than other bad habits. So which one the harm of overeating can it have such a negative impact on our health?

Harm of overeating: possible reasons

What motivates people to overeat? As a rule, this is either the presence of a very tasty food in large quantities, for example, for festive table when you want to try everything and without calculating your strength, you can eat so much that later there will be no time for a holiday. Another one common reason overeating is nervous stress, very often people try to calm their nerves by filling them with various contents of their refrigerator, using the same method they save themselves from boredom, when there is nothing to do, many people come up with the idea that they need to eat, and approaches to the refrigerator are not limited to one or two per day . There can be many reasons for overeating and it’s not so scary when it happens isolated cases, a couple of times a year on holidays, but for many people overeating becomes systematic. Trying to get enough, they, without noticing it, eat more and more every day, a kind of vicious circle is obtained when a large amount of food stretches the stomach, as a result of which, to satisfy hunger, every day a person needs more and more food, and therefore, the brain does not receive a command from the stomach in time that it is already full and will stop eating, and the person, as if nothing had happened, gobbles up everything that is in his refrigerator, and stops only when he feels that it would not be bad unbutton a couple of buttons on your pants.

Harm of overeating: health hazards

The harm of overeating affects all organs that are somehow involved in the digestion process. After all, in order to digest increased amount food, they have to constantly work in an intense mode, which leads to their premature wear: the functioning of the pancreas is disrupted - which can lead to the appearance of such dangerous disease as well as pancreatitis.

The heart gets tired due to the fact that it has to move an increased amount of blood, which leads to its wear and tear, so one of the main dangers of harm from overeating is the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases. “Gluttons” are much more likely to have heart attacks and strokes, and are also diagnosed with ischemic disease heart disease, angina pectoris, etc. Cholesterol also plays an important role in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, the level of which in the blood, with systematic overeating, increases sharply; everyone has probably already heard why cholesterol is dangerous; it clogs blood vessels, which is the cause of atherosclerosis, and high probability stroke.

Excess weight is a common thing among those who like to eat often and a lot. Excess weight inevitably leads to all the consequences that were described above, in addition, the phenomenon is extremely unpleasant; often obese people become, one might say, hostages of their body, unable to lead a full and active life. Obesity impairs mobility and in many cases has a negative impact on a person’s self-esteem, thereby increasing stressful state, which makes people eat even more. It is very difficult to get rid of excess weight, sometimes it takes long years exhausting workouts, for which the vast majority simply do not have the willpower; those who are financially able undergo liposuction - an operation to pump out fat. But if you consider the fact that the harm of overeating has an extremely negative effect on metabolism, the metabolism is disrupted and slows down, then the operation is not a guarantee that after some time the excess weight will not return, but in this case, lose it natural methods it will be much more difficult.

Harm of overeating: food at night

Overeating at night is very common occurrence, for some reason, at night food becomes even tastier and people, having eaten their fill, go to bed and don’t even suspect how harmful it is, because all night the body cannot fully rest and gain strength, but is forced to process food, why does a person does not get enough sleep, it is difficult for him to get up in the morning, he may suffer from heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, bloating, increased gas production, weakness and other unpleasant manifestations of digestive disorders.

Do not underestimate the harm of overeating, and the best way to avoid it is to eat according to a schedule at a strictly allotted time. If you are hungry in the evening, it is better to drink a couple of glasses of water, which will reduce your appetite for a while, or chew any greens or chop vegetable salad. Exercising or any other hobby that you can take up can help prevent excess eating. free time, because often people overeat because they have nothing else to do. In the end, there is no need to make a cult out of food, since food is necessary to give us energy, but if there is an excess of it, food not only does not give energy, but, on the contrary, takes it away, and with it our health.

Even ancient thinkers understood that moderation in food is the key to health and longevity, and they said about those who eat too much: “A glutton digs his own grave with his teeth.”

Overeating is especially dangerous these days. After all, due to hypokinesia (special condition of the body due to insufficiency motor activity) people began to spend less energy, and if the amount of energy received from food exceeds energy consumption, a person is at risk of obesity, and with it many other diseases and a reduction in life expectancy.

True, in the human body the state of energy balance is constantly monitored through neurohormonal mechanisms. Moreover, the most important role belongs to the mechanisms of appetite regulation.

In the central nervous system, the hypothalamus is responsible for the formation of sensations of hunger and satiety. It contains the “hunger center” and the “satiety center.” Excitation and inhibition of these centers is regulated by the level of glucose in the blood; when its level decreases, the activity of the “satiety center” is suppressed, as a result of which the inhibitory impulses going from it to the “hunger center” are reduced, which causes an increase in appetite.

It is known, however, that appetite does not always correspond physiological needs body. More often increased appetite develops due to the habit of eating a lot. In some families it is traditional. As a rule, obesity becomes a consequence of overeating. Moreover, it is especially dangerous to overfeed children in early age. Scientists have proven that in such children the number of adipocytes (fat cells) in the body increases and the most severe, difficult to treat form of obesity develops.

Obesity is certainly serious, but, unfortunately, it is not the only consequence of overeating.

IN last years It was possible to identify the possibility of development as a result of systematic overeating of a number of metabolic abnormalities , even if body weight remains normal. Doctors define this condition as “the metabolic status of an obese patient without obesity.” First of all, such a person violated carbohydrate metabolism, in particular, hyperinsulinemia develops (increased secretion insulin into the blood) the tone of the sympathetic nervous system and the activity of thyroid hormones increase thyroid gland, arterial pressure.

Frequent combination arterial hypertension and overeating attracted the close attention of scientists and forced them to clarify the mechanisms of increase blood pressure in this category of patients. Studies have shown that their diet is high in sodium, even if they do not overindulge in salty foods. The fact is that by absorbing a large amount of food every day, along with it they also receive an excessive amount of sodium, which is contained in almost all foods, including those that do not taste salty. And excess sodium in the body is known to contribute to increased blood pressure.

Thus, overeating, even without leading to obesity, can cause arterial hypertension.

It also causes significant overstrain of the enzyme systems of the digestive organs. And this is a direct path to gastritis, peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum, to dysfunction of the liver and biliary tract, to the development of cholelithiasis.

Excessive consumption of animal fats cholesterol metabolism is disrupted , which is known to promote development and progression of atherosclerosis. IN Lately An important role in the occurrence of this extremely common pathology is played by a violation of the ratio between the two types of lipoproteins contained in the blood - particles that carry lipids (fats). There are low and very low density lipoproteins, containing many lipids, including cholesterol, and little protein, as well as lipoproteins high density, including significant amount squirrel.

Particles of the first type contribute development of atherosclerosis. And an increase in their content in the blood is associated primarily with overeating.

Massive surveys conducted in our country and abroad indicate that the population of developed countries eats too much sugar. Enthusiasm confectionery products, sweets, ice cream maybe disrupt endocrine function pancreas and lead to the development diabetes mellitus.

There is another extreme. Some people believe, for example, that including foods rich in fats and carbohydrates in your diet is harmful, while excess protein is not dangerous. But they are deeply mistaken. Overeating protein foods is also highly undesirable. Children and the elderly are especially sensitive to excessive amounts of protein in the diet: first of all, they liver and kidneys suffer , since the liver in this case has to digest an excessively large amount of amino acids entering it, and the kidneys excrete an increased amount of protein metabolic products in the urine. In addition, by constantly consuming proteins in excess, a person receives a lot of purine nucleotides, which are part of nucleic acids. This promotes the accumulation of purine metabolic products in the body - salts uric acid, and they can be deposited in articular capsules, cartilage and other tissues. As a result, in older people the likelihood of developing gout, which affects the joints and kidneys, increases. Excess protein accelerates puberty child, has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system.

So, systematically overeating is harmful. But episodic “gluttony” on holidays is no less harmful. After all, eating a lot of food disrupts the functioning of the digestive glands; they do not have time to adapt to the increased load, which leads to dysfunction of the entire digestive system. In addition, excess calories entering the body inevitably turn into fat. It is calculated, for example, that to consume 1500 kilocalories you need to walk 10 kilometers, or swim in a pool for 3 hours, or ride a bike for 6 hours. But no one, unfortunately, resorts to such methods of spending energy after a hearty feast! Therefore, in order not to pay with your own health for momentary pleasure, make it a rule both on weekdays and on holidays to refuse food excesses.

Text: G.R. Pokrovskaya, candidate of medical sciences.

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It is not only a terrible enemy of slimness, but also causes catastrophic damage to health

Due to overeating, the functioning of almost all systems and organs is disrupted, and, most importantly, our “engine” - the heart. The dire consequences do not end there.

Bouquet of diseases

The most important negative consequence of overeating is problems with overweight. In addition, age plays an important role in this matter: the older we are, the more difficult it will be for us to maintain normal weight and the more big amount diseases will result from poor nutrition.
The consequences of overeating are so dangerous that doctors warn: it is better to leave the table hungry than full. But most people, alas, often end the meal with the words “I’m so full!” But our body is unlikely to say “thank you” for such a well-fed life. Simply because when overeating, a huge load falls on all organs.

The consequences of gluttony hit the heart first. When overeating, organs enlarge, so the heart is forced to work harder to supply more space with blood. The amount of work increases - the muscular walls of the heart increase, contractions intensify. The natural result is blood pressure problems and hypertension.

The second organ that suffers from overeating is the liver. If exceeded required quantity fats in the liver, it itself turns into their direct source, and soon all the cells are filled with fat. And this already affects not only the heart and liver, but also the intestines. When overeating, the entire intestinal tract suffers. The result is gastritis with low acidity, cholecystitis, chronic pancreatitis.

Metabolism and spine

In obese people, hormonal cycle disorders most often occur, since the body does not have enough thyroid hormone - thyroxine. Due to its deficiency, metabolism loses stability. In women it is disrupted menstrual cycle, and men experience problems with erection. Meanwhile, the treatment for these problems is often just weight loss.

Overeating is also very hard on the joints and the spine in particular. The sooner you overcome the habit of overeating, the sooner you will save your joints from premature wear and tear. We must also remember that overweight people suffer more severely from all diseases than thin people. They take a long time to be treated and often suffer from complications.

How much can you eat

If you cup your palms and lean them against each other, you can roughly imagine the volume of our stomach in in good condition. But if you remember how much we eat at lunch - first course, second course and compote with cake, you can’t help but be surprised: how does it all fit in there?

It's simple: the stomach has folds that, when stretched by food, are smoothed out. The stomach stretches, allowing it to fill itself with more food. This mechanism, invented by nature, is evolutionarily justified - after all, our ancestors rarely had the opportunity to eat their fill. However, ancient people still spent the vast majority of their time in a semi-starved state, so the stomach was clearly not threatened by an excessive constant load.

What is happening today? People not only enjoy food, but generally eat as much as they do not need, but is simply harmful. For doctors, this harm, for example, is obvious - they know that when the stomach is greatly stretched, its blood supply deteriorates, since the vessels passing through its walls also stretch, and less blood enters the stomach than it needs. The same mechanism occurs in another condition that everyone knows about - myocardial infarction. In the stomach it doesn’t lead to a heart attack, but gastritis can be easily caused.

How to eat less

* Try to eat not as much as you are used to, but half as much. It will be difficult, but the result will be worth it! A week will pass two - and the body, for which you will make life much easier, will thank you. It is quite possible that after some time you will forget your past bad eating habits.

* Create a pleasant atmosphere before eating - calm music (classical, jazz, blues, but in no case aggressive rock), a beautifully set table and lovingly prepared food. It is no coincidence that in some religions it is customary to pray before eating - it calms and pacifies.

* Apply to yourself as much as virtually fits in your cupped palms.

* Nutritionists advise using special utensils - for example, plates small size, which will not allow you to eat a large portion. But you will think that you are full - after all, you ate a whole plate.

* You can also experiment with the color of the plates - for example, studies have shown that food causes less appetite if it is served on blue or black dishes.

* Consume less spices, salt and flavor enhancers - they increase your appetite several times, literally forcing you to overeat. At first it will be unusual, but then you will see the difference - it will be clearly demonstrated by the arrows of the scales.

* Breakfast and lunch should be moderately plentiful, since we are charged with energy for the whole day thanks to what we eat before noon. But don't take this advice as permission to eat whatever you want in unlimited quantities. This is especially true for high-calorie foods.

Down with sweets!

It's no secret that almost all people in the world love sweets. For some, one piece of candy brings pleasure, but for others, a kilogram of sugar and a can of condensed milk is not enough to satisfy their sweet tooth.

People with a sweet tooth prefer to turn a blind eye to the fact that excessive consumption of sugar leads not only to rapid weight gain, but also to the development of diabetes. But those who truly care about their health know that ice cream, chocolate and other high-calorie sweets should still not appear on the tables too often. Children require especially careful monitoring. Of course, it is almost impossible to wean them off sweets, so you can use a trick: use a regular sweetener for porridge, tea and baking. It does not act so aggressively on the body.

The child should not overeat

Unfortunately, many children are raised in such a way that they must finish eating. This harmful tradition was born back in Soviet times, and perhaps goes back centuries. There is also a stereotype that bread should not be thrown away. Of course, you need to respect the work of the people who grew the wheat and baked the bread. Moreover, in the past there were times of famine in our country when such a tradition was completely justified. People ate everything to the end, since there was nothing special to eat. But now it’s a different matter. Why finish eating if you already feel that you are full and that the next piece is completely unnecessary?
If you put a little on your plate, you can finish it. But if a compassionate grandmother imposed a mountain on the child fried potatoes plus a couple of fatty cutlets, then gastritis and excess weight in the future are practically guaranteed for him.

Unfortunately, some parents even punish their children for not eating enough. Don't worry, the child won't let himself die of hunger! As a rule, children understand better than adults what they need to eat, how much and when - provided, of course, that incorrect eating habits are not instilled in them by adults almost from the cradle. So if you want to see your children healthy, don't force them to finish eating what they don't want.

Between weekdays and holidays

The harm from overeating is obvious, but small changes in people's actions are often not enough. The negative consequences of gluttony can arise not only from regular consumption of large quantities of food, but also from holiday overeating. So go on a visit in order to enjoy communication with loved ones and friends, and not with the goal of tasting the entire string of twenty culinary masterpieces, finishing off yourself with a high-calorie cake in the end. Remember: even one-time excesses of permissible amounts of food are fraught with serious health consequences.