Ever wonder why theres always room for dessert around the holidaysor why you cant stop after just one chip?
You have hedonic hunger to thank.
Asia Pietrzyk
Its a holiday tradition.
Photo:Asia Pietrzyk
You cant eat another bite.
You may never eat again.
And then someone says the magic word: pie.
That golden crust, the tantalizing aroma of brown sugar and pecansyes, youll have some pie!
Theres a scientific term for what youre experiencing, and its not gluttony.
Its called hedonic hunger, and its why you eat so much, even after youre stuffed.
that rumbling in your stomach when you havent eaten in hours).
It makes us feel good, so we keep eating the food to get that feeling.
Its a hunger for more pleasure, not for more calories.
It makes us feel good, so we keep eating the food to get that feeling.
How The Variety Effect Factors In
What else makes us more inclined to eat for pleasure?
Having a bounty of options on hand.
Turns out, even nutrition scientists are susceptible.
That has nothing to do with a lack of willpower, Lowe says.
Its clear that someones genetic makeup can predispose them to problems controlling food intake, he adds.
But this is a frontier area.
One thing thats not necessarily tied to hedonic hunger: body mass and weight.
Body Mass Index (BMI) was developed as a way to categorize people by weight.
However, it is a biased and unreliable metric for making sense of your body weight or health.
How to Stop Overeating and Manage Hedonic Hunger
Of course, theresnothingwrong with hungering for delicious food.
Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Manage stress and identify your triggers.
Think about your habits.
First, ask yourself something like, When am I enticed by those high-calorie foods?
When Im with certain people?
When Im scrolling through social media?
If so, what if I dont act on it?
Try a visualization technique.
Picture yourself in The Bahamas.
Or wherever youd love to be at the moment of your craving.
The idea is to imagine engaging in something thats not related to food but equally pleasurable, Bhutani says.
Afterward, those in the latter group said they felt less compelled to gobble the chocolate.
Get some exercise.
Regular moderate to vigorous physical activity has been shown to lessen the desire for high-fat foods.
Consider therapy to understand and rewire habits.
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