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“I eat like a demon. So I was punished,” actor Mithun Chakraborty said after being discharged from the hospital earlier this week for showing symptoms of ischemic stroke, a stroke, caused by a blockage in an artery.
The actor, who was suffering from heart disease, warned his fans to monitor their diet as it is the root cause of most heart problems.
“My advice to everyone is to control your diet,” he repeated. The 73-year-old’s warning highlights how symptoms of heart diseases such as obesity and high blood pressure are increasingly increasing, especially among young people.
WHAT IS OVEREATING?
Overeating, characterized by the consumption of excess calories beyond the body’s energy needs, has become a common problem, the roots of which are intertwined with the modern lifestyle.
The world is full of gastronomic delights and most of our favorite foods are just a click away. Since our lifestyle has become sedentary, we end up eating much more than we need.
Years of abusing the very nature of healthy living can have serious repercussions that can cause irreversible impact.
Excessive caloric intake is a major cause of obesity, a condition that has reached alarming proportions across the world, including in India.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Obesity rates worldwide have nearly tripled since 1975.with more than 1.9 billion adults overweight and more than 650 million classified as obese.
THE DANGERS OF OVEREATING
Beyond the visible implications of weight gain, overeating poses a significant risk to metabolic health.
Excessive intake of sugars and fats, common in many indulgent foods, leads to insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
The link between overeating and diabetes is undeniable, as the rise of high-calorie diets correlates with the rising incidence of this chronic disease.
Researchers from the University of Texas suggested that overeating can even affect your sleep.
“Your circadian clock, which controls your sleep cycles, causes your levels of sleep and hunger hormones to rise and fall throughout the day. Overeating can disrupt this rhythm, making it difficult for you to sleep through the night,” they wrote. the authors.
In India, Dr Saurabh Misra, senior consultant in surgical gastroenterology and bariatric surgery at Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru, told IndiaToday. In that, the phenomenon of overeating is quite common, especially in places like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
SHORT AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF OVEREATING
Overeating can come in different forms. It usually means consuming excessive calories, particularly from foods with a high glycemic index. These include sugary foods and foods high in trans fats.
The immediate consequence is an increase in blood sugar levels, since it is mainly carbohydrates.
This sudden increase in blood sugar alerts the body, causing insulin levels to rise. If insulin levels remain elevated for a long period of time, it can lead to insulin resistance, marking the beginning of a diabetic condition.
“Then the fats form layers in the arteries and, prematurely, you experience aging of the arteries. You will have arteriosclerosis, which is the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries. The plaque doubles, which can rupture at any time and cause heart attacks. The deadly combination of diabetes and heart and artery problems will cause heart disease, high blood pressure and whatever in the future,” Dr. Misra said.
Dr Madhusudan Singh Solanki, senior psychiatrist and head of psychiatry at Max Smart Superspeciality Hospital Saket, New Delhi, said overeating can also lead to eating disorders like binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.
“Overeating causes weight gain and obesity, which in turn leads to body image issues, low self-esteem and affects quality of life,” said Dr. Solanki.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BODY?
Whether it’s because of taste, a habit, or even stress, chances are, at some point in our lives, we’ve all overeaten. In addition to gaining weight or filling the body with unwanted calories, overeating affects the body in a variety of ways.
According to Erma Levy, a research dietitian at the University of Texas MD Anderson, overeating causes the stomach to expand beyond its normal size so it can accommodate a large amount of food.
This expansion pushes on your other organs, making you uncomfortable and leaving you feeling sluggish, tired, and drowsy.
Because your organs have to work harder, they secrete additional enzymes and hormones to break down food.
To break down food, the stomach produces hydrochloric acid. If you eat too much, this acid can return to the esophagus and cause heartburn. Your stomach may produce gas, which will make you uncomfortable.
You might also feel temporarily hot and sweaty because your metabolism is in overdrive to burn those unnecessary calories.
However, while the body uses some of those calories, the rest are stored as fat. If you overeat more frequently, you will gain weight and ultimately lead to obesity.
Over time, the stomach increases in volume and that is why there are people who can eat much more than others without receiving that feedback.
WHY DO WE EAT IN EXCESS?
People overeat for various reasons. In India, our typical diet is high in carbohydrates and fats, and such diets, according to research, increase appetite and promote overeating.
Dr Solanki added: “Apart from that, the rich variety of Indian cuisines with brightly colored spicy dishes, the practice of eating together and the importance of food in every ritual and custom can act as distractions for the brain.” .
This causes a delay in satiety and an increase in appetite. In addition to this, stress eating is due to the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body, which increases appetite.
Sometimes people who tend to overeat quite frequently are “emotional eaters.”
“It gives you some kind of comfort. People do it in a variety of situations, especially when they are stressed or under stress due to work or boredom. Food in these situations can be a distraction,” Dr. Misra said.
HOW TO OVERCOME THIS CONDITION?
At first, overeating is a “very unhealthy situation.”
Dr. Misra advises eating slowly. “The problem is that we eat very quickly, so the brain does not receive the signal. By the time you realize you’ve overeaten, you’re already over 15 or 20% of the meal,” he said.
Treating overeating starts with tracking how much and how often you eat. Keeping a food diary is a good starting point, Dr. Solanki suggested.
Here are some ways to overcome overeating.
According to Dr. Pal Manickam, it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive satiety signals from the stomach. He suggested some strategies you can keep in mind to avoid overeating.
- When eating, be more mindful. Avoid electronic devices and television. Pay attention to what you are eating.
- Practice portion sizes if you struggle with overeating.
- Take a deep breath before eating and start eating.
- Savor each bite of what you eat slowly and consciously and chew your food well. Your food should almost take on a liquid consistency.
- Recognize that your brain needs time to receive signals from your stomach that it is full. Eating slowly and giving your body time to register satiety can help you avoid overeating.
- If you have eaten the right amount for optimal health, you will probably feel a slight level of hunger, but you will still be satisfied. The satiety signal takes about 20 minutes to reach the brain from the intestine. The composition of a meal can influence satiety, so it is recommended to include real or whole foods with fiber, protein and fat.
- Improve sleep hygiene to combat sleep-related overeating.
- Increase protein-rich foods for long-lasting satiety.
- Limit alcohol consumption to prevent stimulated appetite.
- Stay hydrated with water and avoid sugary drinks to minimize overeating.
- Address stress through exercise, mindfulness, and problem solving.
“The threshold for overeating is a very thin line,” warned Dr. Pal Manickam. The gap between eating the right amount and overeating can be bridged with just a bite or a spoonful, he added.
It’s not just a question of calories, it’s a challenge for our well-being. Overeating emerges as a formidable adversary, endangering both our physical resilience and our emotional balance.
Navigating this complex terrain requires conscious eating choices, identifying various triggers, and a collective social effort to achieve healthier lifestyles.