Appetite and willpower

Although we know that many factors influence the way we eat, it is still not well understood what controls normal eating behaviour.

Is our environment making us overweight?
Partly. Can we blame it on technology? Perhaps. Smartphones, smart home devices, riding the elevator or the escalator instead of taking the stairs, driving the car instead of walking – all promote less energy use.

Although what we eat and how much we eat is influenced by a number of factors such as sight, taste, and smell, it is also influenced by genetic, psychological, and social factors.

Hormones tell your brain that you're full.
Current research tells us that there are many hormones in our body that inform our brain when to continue or stop eating. Some of these hormones are called incretins and are made by cells in the small intestine. Others are made in the body from fat tissue, such as leptin. The interactions between the different appetite-influencing hormones are complex.

Getting mixed signals from other parts of the brain.
There are several parts of the brain related in regulating our weight. It's thought that certain areas like our cognitive lobe are involved in keeping behaviours like excessive eating at bay. It's possible then that some people who live with obesity might have dysfunctional connections between the different parts of their brain, making it more difficult to control their eating behaviours.  

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