Appetite goes far beyond the stomach-growling ache we know as “hunger”… you know, the gnawing feeling when our stomach is “crying” for food. Appetite is actually any motivation or desire to put calorie-containing substances into our mouths. It is increasingly rare for us in the U.S. to be so “hungry” that our stomach is in pain. Since food is literally everywhere and readily available, we choose to avoid that feeling by eating in advance.
Calories (the measure of energy contained in food) are the ONLY source of power for humans. In fact, calories energize human metabolism and human function in all its glory. Whether building muscle and bone, thinking thoughts, growing hair, or fighting disease-causing viruses and bacteria, only calories can meet our energy needs.
by Emily Farris, Kansas City Enhance Health & Wellness Magazine, Jan-Feb 2011
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“If only I wouldn’t have had that first French fry…”If any of those statements sound familiar, you’ve probably blamed your willpower, or lack thereof, for excess weight at some point in your life. But Dr. Rick Tague, M.P.H. and founder of the Center for Nutrition and Preventative Medicine in Leawood and Topeka, Kansas, would tell you to stop being so hard on yourself. In fact, he says willpower has very little, if nothing, to do with weight.
By Dr. Rick Tague
Did you know that being overweight is a disorder? In some ways, it is caused by our fat cells. If you’ve lost weight only to regain it, you know first hand the difficult struggle against “hungry” fat cells.
Our bodies have millions of these small cells scattered throughout our bodies. If they receive the wrong message from our genetics, chemicals in the environment, certain medications, stress hormones, etc, they take on a life of their own and demand more food calories.