Three Overeating Triggers

I read this article yesterday and felt that it had some good information for us. However, sometimes these types of articles make me feel like (and I could be wrong in this case) they were written by a person who had training and education in nutrition and weight control, but has never been overweight a day in their life! These triggers are definitely true and the suggestions are constructive, but there is much much more that goes into making a person overweight, that I think suggestions like this are chipping away at an iceberg with a kitchen sized icepick.

Overeating Triggers

by Karen Asp

from the CNN website

Emotions can drive you to overeat. So, too, can other triggers. Learn how to spot them, and you'll learn how to beat them.

Dim lighting: The dimmer the lighting, the higher the likelihood of overindulgence, says a study from of California at Irvine. Why? "Brighter lighting forces you to be more aware of what you're eating," says Joe Kasof, Ph.D., lead study author. Beat it by: Sitting outdoors or near windows, using brighter bulbs in your lamps, adding lighting to eating areas, or moving to a brighter room.

Distractions: In another study, when women who normally watched what they ate listened to a taped detective story, they consumed more calories. Researchers suspect the story interfered with the women's focus on keeping calories in check. Beat it by: Clearing all distractions; let the enjoyment of the meal provide your focus.

Low energy: "When your energy's low, you may look for food to pick you up," says Robert E. Thayer, Ph.D., professor of psychology at California State University at Long Beach. Unfortunately, most people reach for calorie-laden treats instead of an apple or banana. Beat it by: Identifying your low-energy times of day and substituting other activities for eating. Take a 10-minute walk or a water-cooler chat break.

Tomorrow I will begin to list some of the things that have helped me. Perhaps you will have more suggestions to add to the list. Let's support each other with ideas that come those of us who have 'been there and done that'.