Shafer

1 Nora Shafer Ms. Caruso English 1102 11 April 2013 Memo: Currently two-thirds of the U.S adult population is obese. I feel like it is important for people to be aware of what they are putting into their bodies and how those foods are affecting them. What many people dont realize is that food addictions could very well be the underlying reason for poor diets that are full of foods high in salt, fats, and sugar. Its important for overweight individuals and even healthy individuals to be informed of the science of their brains in order to better understand why their food cravings become out of control. By writing a magazine article, which would be published in a health and fitness magazine such as Prevention magazine, I will be able to provide possible answers, relatable stories, and solutions to the readers health issues. Colino, Stacey. Food Fix. Bethesda Magazine, n.p, Jan-Feb 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/January-February-2013/Food- Fix/ Addicted to Food Have you ever had a food craving that seemed so overpowering that you felt like the only way for it to be relieved would be by consuming that particular food? Everyone has food cravings; without them we would be apathetic towards the foods that we eat. What causes a seemingly simple craving to turn into an out of control obesity epidemic? Our bodies are constantly in need of nutrients, but what we dont realize is that the foods that are high in fats, sugars, and salts are ultimately starving and tricking our brains into thinking that we are

Shafer 2 receiving the nutrients that we need, when in reality we are just becoming addicted to those certain ingredients. Some scientists refuse to even believe in food addictions as an actual medical problem. Individuals with food addictions struggle with much more than just what to eat and what not to eat; many of those individuals suffer from low self-esteems. Food addictions are not just a made-up diagnosis to make people feel better about themselves, they are a real problem that many individuals face every day. Whats the difference between having a food addiction and just simply liking a certain brand or kind of food? According to the article that I am responding to, Food Fix by Stacey Colino, Groundbreaking studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans have demonstrated that when people with food addictions are shown pictures of and/or eat sweet, salty or fatty foods, the pleasure centers of their brains light up and stay lit up much longer than in those without an apparent food addiction (Colino par.4). Much like some drugs such as cocaine or heroin, certain foods can hijack the brains reward system (Colino par.3). Dopamine receptors could very well be the root cause of all these issues. Studies have shown that individuals who are obese have a significantly smaller number of dopamine receptors in their brains. Food Fix used the example of someone eating five doughnuts instead of one because in order for him to get the same pleasure out of eating one doughnut as a normal person he had to eat five. Colino says that when the brain is continuously flooded with high levels of dopamine many of the dopamine receptors shut down. As a result, when you do consume the desired food, you dont feel as much reward, and it takes more of a hyper-palatable food to actually enjoy the original pleasure you had when your dopamineBeth Caruso 4/15/13 11:06 AM Comment [3]: Try changing up your sentence structure to allow for smoother transitions between your sentences and ideas. Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:04 AM Comment [2]: Remember, phrases like these will point to the fact that this is for school, which will be off-putting to a magazine reader. Situate the article within the conversation, rather than within the class. Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:03 AM Comment [1]: You could use a transition for this sentence.

Shafer 3 receptor population was normal (Colino par.12). Can a person just simply be born with an addictive personality, which could lead to food addictions? Studies have shown that when a baby is born with fewer than the normal number of dopamine receptors, then that child will more than likely have problems with addictions in some way. The body has to overcompensate in order to gain any kind of ok thats enough, Im happy now feeling (Tupper par.6). Food Companies understand that people have these problems; they also know the three ingredients that all people in general crave the most; fats, sugars, and salt. Our society may have revolutionized but our bodies are still in caveman time. Back then our bodies needed and craved those ingredients because food was scarce and your survival depended on the consumption of a high amount of calories and fats for energy. Nowadays the tables have turned and we have more than enough food. Food companies are realizing this and are making more of foods with high amounts of fats, sugars, and salt (Tupper par.4). After being exposed to and eating these types of foods for an extended period of time, when we decide to eat a non-processed food such as an organic apple, it may taste bland and not as enjoyable as a bag of potato chips. Many food addicts have stated that once they were off of the foods that they craved (the foods with the high salt, fat, and sugar) then the craving of those foods decreased tremendously. Recovering from food addictions is a very complex challenge, because everyone has to eat. Imagine being a recovering drug addict and seeing your drug of choice everywhere around you: on the streets, in restaurants, in grocery stores. The truth of the matter is that food addictions are affecting thousands of people each day. Anne Foster, an event planner from Rockville says, Id been obese all my life. For me, eating was a way of filling the void in my life, and Id eat the foods I lovedbread, chocolate, cookies, cakewithout paying attention to how much (Colino par.19). Weather we realize it or not most people are not obese by choice; there is
Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:10 AM Comment [6]: Indicate the state this is in unless it will go in a local magazine. Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:08 AM Comment [5]: Is there a way to heighten the number of receptors before the baby is born, or is there something that happens to limit the formulation of these receptors?

Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:07 AM Comment [4]: Interesting!

Shafer 4 always an underlying issue that causes people to act the way they do. A lot of todays society is just like Anne; people can get swept away by the fast paced world, never realizing what they are putting into their bodies. Some people cope with poor self-esteem by eating the foods that make them feel good, or the foods that trigger their dopamine receptors. Others are just trapped in what seems to be an endless cycle of fast food and take-out meals (Avena par.5). Simply saying that food addictions are not real and are not a legitimate illness is a very closed-minded outlook on the issues at hand. Dr. Pam Peeke, a nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert says, As with any addiction, there is no cure, but there is the possibility of lifelong recovery. With determination, a strong support system and a mindful approach to living every day, you can reclaim control of your health, your weight and your life (Colino par.23). So the next time you go to pick up that hot, freshly baked glazed doughnut just ask yourself if its really your body that needs that doughnut or if its just your brain telling you that that is what it wants.
Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:15 AM Comment [8]: Nora, You have a solid article here, and it certainly would be interesting to magazine readers. Although your concern in your note was that it was too shallow of an inquiry for a magazine, many of the ideas you cover in here are not the typical pieces of information that one comes across in a piece on obesity. However, in order to strengthen this piece, I would suggest that you work to incorporate and engage with more of the information you had found. It is obvious that you are knowledgeable on the subject, and if you continue to push this article, you will most certainly be able to combat differing opinions. -Ms. C

Beth Caruso 4/15/13 11:11 AM Comment [7]: Be sure to demonstrate this idea further, since there are many people who think that obese people are simply lazy and do have a choice in the matter. This is where people will end up arguing with your ideas.

Shafer 5 Work Cited Colino, Stacey. Food Fix. Bethesda Magazine, n.p, Jan-Feb 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. Tupper, Naomi, Top 10 Most Addictive Foods. Calorie Secrets, n.p. 30 Jan 2013. Web, 19 Feb. 2013. Avena, Nicole, Food Junkie: Is Food Addiction Real of Bogus? Psychology Today, Nicole Avena, 30 Dec 2012. Web, 12 Mar. 2013.
Beth Caruso 4/15/13 10:57 AM Comment [9]: Put a space between the title of the page and the first entry. Keep in mind that it is also very difficult to be considered a true expert when only using two additional sources.

Shafer 6 Research Pre-writing

Beth Caruso 4/15/13 10:56 AM

Comment [10]: , but work to be more specific so you can find more to research.

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