Why do we overeat and what to do about it?

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2022-01-25

Overeating is often the main and almost the sole reason for excess weight (excluding various genetic disorders, diseases, and such). If you eat too much in a day, consuming more calories than necessary, fat gets stored. However, we often overeat to the point where we don't feel satisfied, yet we actively gain excess weight.

This happens because certain foods, although they carry a lot of energy, do not adequately satisfy hunger, leading you to consume more calories than your body actually needs. But more on that below (by the way, we have explained this multiple times here).

Causes of Overeating

1. Energy Density of Foods. This refers to how much energy a food contains (the number of calories in it). For comparison: 1 Snickers bar contains about 250 kcal (high energy density). 1 apple has 70 kcal (low energy density). Although when you compare the volume of these foods, they occupy a similar space (they take up about the same volume in the stomach).

Now imagine that to feel full (to fill your stomach to capacity), you need either 3 apples or 3 Snickers bars. Clearly, these numbers are conditional for simplicity. If you eat 3 Snickers bars, you’ll consume 750 kcal, whereas 3 apples will yield only 210 kcal. The difference is significant. However, the feeling of fullness will be the same: after an hour, your stomach will be empty again, and you’ll want to eat.

And an hour later, you’ll go for more food. And then again, and again. By the end of the day, you find yourself in a considerable calorie surplus. And those calories get stored under your skin as fat. So, you eat without actually feeling stuffed, yet you continue to gain weight.

2. Energy-dense foods often do not satiate well. Satiety depends not on how many calories are consumed (the body does not count them) but on how full the stomach is: foods press against the stomach walls, signaling the brain about fullness. I’ll skip the role of the satiety hormone—leptin—in this matter (its impact in this context is considerably less).

So let me ask you: what will give you a greater sense of fullness—a Snickers with 250 kcal or a vegetable salad with the same number of calories? Which will occupy more space in the stomach and press against the walls? Definitely, the salad. Although in terms of calories, both are equal.

However, to be fair, I should mention that a Big Mac from McDonald's will fill you up well: for the next 2-3 hours, you can forget about hunger; it occupies a substantial space in the stomach. The Big Mac is a clear representative of energy-dense food. But hold on—there are 510 kcal in a Big Mac, which you could also divide into 2 meals (meaning you would stay full longer, eating the same 510 kcal but from different foods).

3. You may have leptin resistance. Leptin is the hormone of satiety. However, there are times when the body's sensitivity to it is impaired for various reasons, often due to excess weight (and sometimes outright obesity). Overeating can occur because you genuinely consume a lot simply because you do not feel full (and when fullness does set in, you’ve already overeaten significantly, with calorie intake exceeding your needs).

I discussed leptin resistance in detail in the article “Why You Eat and Don't Feel Full.”

What to Do to Avoid Overeating?

We have established that we overeat in terms of calories, which leads to problems with weight and body shape. However, there are simple techniques that allow you to eat your fill while still consuming few calories.

1. Eat Low Energy Density Foods. These include vegetables, greens, fruits (like apples, citrus fruits), and similar foods (such as seaweed). Such products provide few calories but occupy a significant volume in the stomach.

For example, you could eat, and I don’t hesitate to say this, an entire bowl, a whole basin of vegetable salad, and feel stuffed, yet you would consume just as many calories as in a Big Mac.

2. Eat High-Fiber Foods. This includes various vegetables (different types of cabbage, for example), greens, and so on. Fiber has a characteristic of swelling in the gastrointestinal tract, pressing against the walls and creating a sense of fullness. Additionally, fiber provides very few calories.

You can also add fiber to your dishes. For instance, even in the cheapest supermarkets, flaxseed flour is available, which can be sprinkled onto dishes to increase fiber content.

3. Eat Foods with Resistant Starches. Resistant starches are those that are not digested by our bodies (they are not broken down by enzymes). These starches are found in potatoes, lentils, beans, rice, and oatmeal. Interestingly, the amount of resistant starch increases in cooled products compared to their original state.

Of course, cold oatmeal isn’t the most appealing food, but cooled boiled potatoes or rice are quite acceptable. Therefore, boiled potatoes prepared in the morning will be significantly cooler by evening and filled with resistant starches.

4. Consume Protein-rich Foods. Proteins have a high thermogenic effect (the body burns a lot of calories to digest and absorb them). Moreover, the body is very reluctant to use protein as a means to store subcutaneous fat. Therefore, combining protein with fiber and resistant starch is highly beneficial.

5. Address Leptin Resistance if Caused by Excess Weight/Obesity. To restore sensitivity to this hormone, weight loss is necessary. This is not a quick process, but the more subcutaneous fat you have, the faster you will shed it.

Weight loss largely depends on nutrition (because you can work out but then eat back everything you burned off, or even more). Optimize your eating style, and you will definitely reduce weight.

Exercise is an excellent complementary tool for weight loss. It not only helps to reduce fat but also ensures that you do not look flabby. And, of course, it is crucial for overweight individuals to have appropriate loads (lifting heavy weights while having excess weight is not advisable).