Why is It So Hard to Say No to That Piece of Cake?
Why is it that, despite our best intentions, we impulsively devour that tub of ice cream or bag of popcorn?
The urge to eat impulsively is associated with binge eating and obesity — a state of health that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe as “common, serious, and costly.”
Back in 2008, the CDC estimate, the annual medical cost of obesity to the United States was $147 billion.
In 2015–2016, the organization reports, 39.8% of adults in the U.S. had obesity. This condition increases the risk of several health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
But what underlying mechanism is behind overeating, and could identifying it eventually help people who are experiencing this health issue?
Excerpted from Medical News Today
