Most people assume the only reason to eat healthy foods is to stay slim. But being slim doesn’t mean you’re healthy, and doesn’t mean it’s OK to eat junk.
Attempts to restructure our “obesogenic” food environment for health are often criticized - as restricting personal choice and freedom.
(Shutterstock)
Bombarded with unhealthy offerings by the food industry, we blame and shame ourselves for gaining weight. But is it really our fault, or are we being “entrapped?”
A recent study found Australian soft drinks had higher concentrations of glucose than US soft drinks, which had more fructose. Does this mean Australian drinks are worse for health than US drinks?
Neuroscience shows the brain’s reward centres are activated by certain packaging.
The Conversation
No wonder we’re addicted to junk food. Neuroscience shows food packaging affects our enjoyment of these foods, and plays on the same brain processes as hard drug addiction.
Kenneth McLeod, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Weight loss often leads to declines in our resting metabolic rate – how many calories we burn at rest – which makes it hard to keep the weight off. So why does weight loss make resting metabolism go down?
Current high rates of childhood obesity are the product of a perfect early-life storm.
from shutterstock.com
If you’re an average-sized adult eating and drinking enough to maintain a healthy body weight, you should consume no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar per day.
Sugary drinks are high in energy and lead to weight gain and obesity.
Justin C./Flickr
Many of us enter a new year reflecting on where we have been and our plans for the future. For some, this will mean acknowledging that a couple more kilos have crept on over the past year.
If you’re embarking on post-holiday weight loss, understanding your body’s physiological responses to the excess of the holiday season could give you the edge for a successful New Year’s resolution.
Pumping iron: Is it really all worth it?
W_Minshull
People overeat. And people don’t always make the healthiest food choices. That much is clear. But who is to blame for overeating and poor food choices?
Tip the scale.
Scale image via www.shutterstock.com.
While a single, smaller portion leads people to eat less, having multiple smaller portions on offer appears to lead some people - notably the diet-conscious - to eat more.