my peer review

7/30/2019 MY Peer Review

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Shafer

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NoraShafer

Ms.Caruso

English1102

11April2013

Memo:Currentlytwo-thirdsoftheU.Sadultpopulationisobese.Ifeellikeitisimportant

forpeopletobeawareofwhattheyareputtingintotheirbodiesandhowthosefoodsare

affectingthem.Whatmanypeopledontrealizeisthatfoodaddictionscouldverywellbe

theunderlyingreasonforpoordietsthatarefulloffoodshighinsalt,fats,andsugar.Its

importantforoverweightindividualsandevenhealthyindividualstobeinformedofthe

scienceoftheirbrainsinordertobetterunderstandwhytheirfoodcravingsbecomeoutof

control.Bywritingamagazinearticle,whichwouldbepublishedinahealthandfitness

magazinesuchasPreventionmagazine,Iwillbeabletoprovidepossibleanswers,relatable

stories,andsolutionstothereadershealthissues.

Colino,Stacey.FoodFix.BethesdaMagazine,n.p,Jan-Feb2013.Web.19Feb.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

image 4/9/13 10:18 AM

Comment [1]: Iwouldstartthisona

page


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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 respondingto,FoodFixbyStacey

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 dopamine-

receptor population was normal (Colino par.12). Can a person just simply be born with an

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Comment [2]: Holycrap,Ineverknewwasspeltlikethat!


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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.

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. 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

always an underlying issue that causes people to act the way they do. A lot of todays society is

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Comment [3]: Rockville,Maryland?


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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.

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.

image 4/9/13 10:27 AM

Comment [4]: Ithoughtyourpaperw

verywellwrittenandyouprovidedman

sourcesandexamplestobackyour

argumentsup.OncethingisthatIdidn

reallyknowwhatkindofaresponsethi

likeisitablog?Orarticle?Lastly,attim

yourprovideinformationthatmaybea

summaryofanoutsidesource,sojustm

sureyoucitethemaswell.Otherthant

fewsuggestionsIhonestlyfeelyourpap

suppliedinterestingfactsanditgrabbed

attention.Ialsoenjoyedreadingit.


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WorkCited

Colino,Stacey.FoodFix.BethesdaMagazine,n.p,Jan-Feb2013.Web.19Feb.2013.

Tupper,Naomi,Top10MostAddictiveFoods.CalorieSecrets,n.p.30Jan2013.Web,19

Feb.2013.

Avena,Nicole,FoodJunkie:IsFoodAddictionRealofBogus?PsychologyToday,Nicole

Avena,30Dec2012.Web,12Mar.2013.


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