Accurate Education - Hedonic Eating

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Eating Behaviors:

Hedonic Eating

Hedonic eating refers to eating that is based predominately on the pleasure in doing so. It can be a maladaptive behavior with harmful consequences when associated with poor control.

See also:

What is “Hedonic Eating?”

Hedonic eating is driven by the pleasure and taste in doing so rather than actual hunger. Particular foods may have a high “hedonic rating” or individuals may have increased susceptibility to external food cues (See: External Eating).

The desire to eat purely for pleasure, rather than hunger, is called hedonic hunger and it can lead some people to overeating and obesity along with their associated consequences. Pleasure eating activates endogenous reward signals in the brain, which prompts people to eat more of the pleasurable food, even if they are not hungry. It is an important factor in the rising obesity rates.

Consequences of Hedonic Eating:

Individuals with heightened sensitivity to external cues such as visual images or smells of desirable foods, are more likely to be triggered by these cues to engage in greater food intake in the absence of hunger (hedonic eating). This has been confirmed in studies evaluating functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evaluating the activation of brain reward regions.

Additionally, studies have shown that greater sensitivity to food cues predicts increases in body weight as well as reduced success when participating in weight-loss programs. Therefore it is important for those individuals motivated to lose weight to assess their sensitivity to external cues in order to overcome the unintended drive to eat.

Treatment / Management of Hedonic Eating:

If your hedonic eating is getting the better of you, the next time you recognize this devil:

Drink water. Sometimes when one perceives a desire to eat that may not be hunger, the first step to stop the craving should be downing a full glass of water. It may provide a feeling of fullness that can suppress the desire to eat.
Chew gum. Pop a piece of gum (sugar-free?) to keep from obsessing over the desire to eat. Chewing will distract you make it lessen the drive to overeat.
Find a distraction. When you’re at home or sitting at your desk, it can be tempting to eat out of boredom or a triggering thought of food, not hunger. When this happens, engage a distraction. Call your diet partner or supportive spouse, go for a walk pick up a book or turn on the TV — whatever it takes to divert your attention on food. Or better yet, just walk away from any tempting food source and don’t go back.
Take two bites. If all else fails, and it’s something you really want, employ a 2 bite rule: Take two reasonably sized bites, which should be enough to satisfy yourself, and then put your fork down.

The Physiology of Hedonic Eating

Research suggests that the brain’s reward mechanisms — including the hormone ghrelin and the chemical compound 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) — stimulate the body’s response to
pleasurable foods. A study assessed eight satiated healthy adults, giving them their personal favorite food first, and later, a less-enjoyable food of equal caloric and nutrient value. The volunteers’ levels of ghrelin and 2-AG increased while they were enjoying their favorite foods, but not when they ate the less-enjoyable food. This suggests that the chemical reward system in the brain can override the body’s hunger cues and easily lead to overeating.

The Genetics of Hedonic Eating

Hedonic hunger occurs in response to a desire to consume food for pleasure. The hedonic impact of food, especially of sweet and fat food, is regulated by the μ-opioid system. Opioid μ-agonists (0pioids) are known to increase food intake, primarily by amplifying the hedonic properties of food. Polymorphism of the opioid receptor mu 1 gene (OPRM1) have been associated with fat intake.

A 2021 study evaluated whether the intake of high-fat food is associated with hedonic hunger and the OPRM1 polymorphism and whether these variables are related to BMI. Hedonic hunger is associated with BMI. Hedonic hunger scores were not associated with total high-fat food intake but were associated with healthy high-fat food intake and snack food intake while another study concluded that hedonic hunger was positively associated with the intake of sweet or salty snacks and fast food. Associations between hedonic hunger and fast-food intake can vary based on OPRM1 genotype with its minor allele (G) associated with lower fast-food intake in people with higher hedonic hunger.

Among people with low hedonic hunger, the OPRM1 genotype was not associated with fast-food intake. In contrast, in those with high hedonic hunger, the minor allele was associated with lower fast-food intake.

Another study showed that higher hedonic eating scores combined with lower self-control capacities were correlated with higher intakes of high- fat salty snack foods and high-sugar foods, higher overeating frequency, and higher snacking frequency. This supports the idea that improvement of self-control will be successful in reducing intake of unhealthy food.

Resources

The following list includes resources that may be helpful in coping with being overweight as well as facilitating weight loss.

www.nutrition.gov

Nutrition.gov provides easy access to vetted food and nutrition information from across the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers.

Providing science-based dietary guidance is critical to enhance the public’s ability to make healthy choices in the effort to reduce obesity and other food related diseases. Since dietary needs change throughout the lifespan, specialized nutrition information is provided about infants, children, teens, adult women and men, and seniors.

Users can find practical information on healthy eating, dietary supplements, fitness and how to keep food safe. The site is kept fresh with the latest news and features links to interesting sites.

www.naafa.org – National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit, all volunteer, civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through advocacy, public education, and support.

www.obesityaction.org

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) was born with the goal that the organization could create needed change for those who are living with and/or are affected by the disease of obesity. The OAC is a more than 85,000 member-strong 501(c) national nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of every individual affected by obesity.

List of Weight Loss Programs

Phone Apps

Other Resources for Help

References

Hedonic Eating

Obesity – Visceral Fat

Visceral Fat – Overviews

Pathophysiology of Human Visceral Obesity – An Update

Visceral Fat – Biomarkers

Visceral Fat – Genetics

Visceral Fat – Stress

Interleukin-1 beta – a potential link between stress and the development of visceral obesity – 2012

Obesity – Comorbid Conditions

Obesity – Fatty Liver

1. The role of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue fatty acid composition in liver pathophysiology associated with NAFLD. – PubMed – NCBI
2. What non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has got to do with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and viceversa? – PubMed – NCBI

Obesity – Kidney Disease

1. Association of visceral fat area with chronic kidney disease and metabolic syndrome risk in the general population

Obesity – Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity – Oxidative Stress

1. Oxidative stress drivers and modulators in obesity and cardiovascular disease: from biomarkers to therapeutic approach. – PubMed – NCBI

Obesity – Sleep Apnea

1. Visceral fat and respiratory complications – 2004
2. What non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has got to do with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and viceversa? – PubMed – NCBI

Wt Loss Program

Wt Loss Program – Body Composition Analysis (BCA)

Wt Loss Program – Appetite Suppressants

Appetite Suppressants – Prescription Medication List

Adipex (Phentermine)
Belviq (Lorcaserin)
Bupropion
Contrave (Bupropion/Naltrexone)
Invokana (Canagliflozin)
Naltrexone
Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)
Qsymia (Phentermine and Topiramate)
Saxenda (Liraglutide)
Topamax (Topiramate)
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
Wegovy (Semaglutide)

Appetite Suppressants (Rx) – Semaglutide

Appetite Suppressants (Rx) – Wegovy (Semaglutide)

Appetite Suppressants – CAM

1. Appe-control and Hunger Block

Wt Loss Program – Diet

Diet – Guidelines

Diet – Fasting

Diet – Foods

Diet – Supplements

Supplements – Vitamins

Vitamins – Overviews

1. Vitamin status in morbidly obese patients – a cross-sectional study – 2008

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Diet – CAM Supplements

Wt Loss Program – NLAL Lipolysis

NLAL Lipolysis – Handouts

NLAL Lipolysis – References

Maladaptive Eating

Eating Behavior – Emotional Eating

Emotional Eating

Eating Behavior – External Eating Cues

External Eating Cues

Eating Behavior – Cravings

Cravings – Treatment

Cravings Treatment – CAM Supplements

1. Quercetin

1. Synaptamine

Eating Behavior – Binging (BED)

BED – Overview

1. Binge Eating Disorder – Recognition, Diagnosis, and Treatment

BED – Dopamine </sp an>

1. Binge eating disorder and the dopamine D2 receptor: genotypes and sub-phenotypes. – PubMed – NCBI
2. Dopamine for “Wanting” and Opioids for “Liking” – A Comparison of Obese Adults With and Without Binge Eating-2009

BED – Treatment

BED – Treatment, Overview

1. Current and Emerging Drug Treatments for Binge Eating Disorder – 2014
2. Pharmacological management of binge eating disorder – current and emerging treatment options

BED -Treatment, Bupropion

1. Bupropion for Overweight Women with Binge Eating Disorder – Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial – 2013

BED -Treatment, Chromium

BED -Treatment, Contrave

1. Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder in Obesity: Naltrexone: Bupropion Combination Versus Placebo – Full Text View – ClinicalTrials.gov

Maladaptive Eating – Reward Deficiency Syndrome

Clinically Combating Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) with Dopamine Agonist Therapy as a Paradigm Shift- Dopamine for Dinner? – 2015

“Dopamine for Dinner” by Joan Borsten, 2014

Avaliable online at Amazon.com: Kindle subscriber: free; Kindle book: $9.95 Paperback: $149.00

“Dopamine for Dinner,” is the first Malibu Beach Recovery Diet Cookbook, based on their famous low-glycemic diet. The recipes developed by four accomplished chefs are both pleasant eating as well as healthy. Based on the use of low glycemic index foods, the recipes emphasize nutritious eating in a manner that promotes maintaining high brain levels of dopamine and serotonin as a means of supporting healthy brain chemistry.

Emphasis on Education

Accurate Clinic promotes patient education as the foundation of it’s medical care. In Dr. Ehlenberger’s integrative approach to patient care, including conventional and complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments, he may encourage or provide advice about the use of supplements. However, the specifics of choice of supplement, dosing and duration of treatment should be individualized through discussion with Dr. Ehlenberger. The following information and reference articles are presented to provide the reader with some of the latest research to facilitate evidence-based, informed decisions regarding the use of conventional as well as CAM treatments.

For medical-legal reasons, access to these links is limited to patients enrolled in an Accurate Clinic medical program.

Should you wish more information regarding any of the subjects listed – or not listed – here, please contact Dr. Ehlenberger. He has literally thous
ands of published articles to share on hundreds of topics associated with pain management, weight loss, nutrition, addiction recovery and emergency medicine. It would take years for you to read them, as it did him.