Obesity

[neil_merseyside]

Are you my wife's twin?

My wife:

- cuts muffins in half, and keeps half for tomorrow
- opens a box (or packet) of Maltese's and eats three, keeping rest for later
- opens a bar of chocolate, and eats one square
- opens a Terrys Chocolate Orange, and eats one segment

Triplet then as I have one of those too.
- But no muffins as they are just sugar in a paper case and really disappointing when I tried one.
- If she has half a biccie then I get one and the half!
- Chocolate not so much, as I dare not start 'tidying up'
- I can never find the chocolate orange that our one slice came from, I'm sure they used to have loads of slices...

 

[tyred]

Are you my wife's twin?

My wife:

- cuts muffins in half, and keeps half for tomorrow
- opens a box (or packet) of Maltese's and eats three, keeping rest for later
- opens a bar of chocolate, and eats one square
- opens a Terrys Chocolate Orange, and eats one segment

That's what I can't do, I'll either have none of it or eat the lot. I can't do the in-between. The idea of leaving uneaten sweets doesn't compute with me!

It's why you will never find confectionery in my cupboards. I don't allow myself to keep it in stock as I know I'll eat the lot in one sitting.

If I do feel like a treat I will buy a singular bar of chocolate or whatever in the newsagents even though I know I could more than likely buy a multipack in the supermarket for the same price. People tell me I'm stupid to do that but it's my way of limiting my consumption.

 

[tyred]

You are reading something between the lines that isn’t there.

Sorry, like others I thought you were hinting that overweight people were just weak. My misunderstanding.

 

[matticus]

If I do feel like a treat I will buy a singular bar of chocolate or whatever in the newsagents even though I know I could more than likely buy a multipack in the supermarket for the same price. People tell me I'm stupid to do that but it's my way of limiting my consumption.

Yup, I sometimes do that, for the same reason. It does make a kind of sense!

 

[Deleted User]

You're lucky, I also presume you don't understand Heroine addiction or Alcoholism, but for some food is the same, my issue is I eat too large a portions, I find it difficult to leave anything on the plate, I think this stems from when I was a child & was always told I couldn't leave the table until everything was eaten, starving children in other countries etc. My wife on the other hand eats far too much sweet stuff along with lack of exercise, again if she opens a 10 pack of Jaffa cakes she cannot just eat 2 or 4, the whole 10 will go.

I am lucky, when I'm hungry I eat enough to make me feel full.

I like a beer which we all know isn't that good for you but if I've had a blowout for some reason I'll cut back for a few days, I don't eat just for the sake of it.

I'm only guessing drug addiction eases a pain that can only be filled once you've had a 'hit' ? can't really see the same for food?

Like gambling, it's obviously psychological rather than physical because once you're 'full' you're full?

 

[matticus]

I am lucky, when I'm hungry I eat enough to make me feel full.
<snip>
Like gambling, it's obviously psychological rather than physical because once you're 'full' you're full?

There is almost certainly a bit of both; different bodies signal "full" in different ways. This has been studied extensively at a chemical level (insulin and blood-sugar levels are the tip of the iceberg!).

You've noticed that some people have a "sweet tooth"? But not everyone! There are a raft of other differences between us.

 

[Julia9054]

Hah, well I'm not as bonkers as I thought then...

I'll agree, some muffins are rather meh, but the Tesco bakery does these gorgeous triple chocolate jobbies with a a dollop of ganache hidden in the middle. They also do lemon drizzle ones filled with lemon curd...

On the other hand, if I open a large (sharing) bag of crisps and leave them on the table, or a pack of pretzel sticks or marmite rice cakes, and suddenly, *POOF* they're gone.

It does help if I take out a portion and put the bag away. Out of sight and out of mind, like...

Complete opposite to me - I could eat a whole packet of biscuits if I allowed myself but can’t manage an individual bag of crisps let alone a sharing bag.

 

[Julia9054]

once you're 'full' you're full?

Full is complicated.
Fat cells produce a hormone called leptin which signals to the brain that we are full. The stomach produces a hormone called ghrelin which, when detected by the brain, increases appetite. As our stomach fills up, less ghrelin is produced.
The leptin - ghrelin signalling response in an individual is determined by our genes so some people genuinely feel hungrier and find it less easy to control what they eat than others.
In addition, the more fat cells you have, the more leptin you produce. You would think that this means that fat people feel full quicker. Unfortunately, obese people develop leptin insensitivity so, although they produce more leptin than a slim person, their brain is less good at detecting it.

 

[matticus]

Fat cells produce a hormone called leptin which signals to the brain that we are full. The stomach produces a hormone called ghrelin which, when detected by the brain, increases appetite. As our stomach fills up, less ghrelin is produced.
The leptin - ghrelin signalling response in an individual is determined by our genes so some people genuinely feel hungrier and find it less easy to control what they eat than others.
In addition, the more fat cells you have, the more leptin you produce. You would think that this means that fat people feel full quicker. Unfortunately, obese people develop leptin insensitivity so, although they produce more leptin than a slim person, their brain is less good at detecting it.

Isn't that what I said 2 posts ago?

 

[Julia9054]

Isn't that what I said 2 posts ago?

Yes. I added some detail

 

[BoldonLad]

That's what I can't do, I'll either have none of it or eat the lot. I can't do the in-between. The idea of leaving uneaten sweets doesn't compute with me!

It's why you will never find confectionery in my cupboards. I don't allow myself to keep it in stock as I know I'll eat the lot in one sitting.

If I do feel like a treat I will buy a singular bar of chocolate or whatever in the newsagents even though I know I could more than likely buy a multipack in the supermarket for the same price. People tell me I'm stupid to do that but it's my way of limiting my consumption.

Same here.

On one occasion, I bought a large bag of Maltesers for my wife. The bag had a “self seal”. Wife opened bag, took out her customary three sweets, and, attempted to re-seal bag.

Seal mechanism would not work.

Wife complained to me about it, I pointed out that she was probably the first person in the world to attempt to re-seal bag (ie everyone else eats the lot).

I now see that I was wrong, there appear to be three other strange characters in the world!, and, they are on here!

 

[Reynard]

I now see that I was wrong, there appear to be three other strange characters in the world!, and, they are on here!

Well, I've never made any claims to my sanity - or lack thereof!

 

[matticus]

Wife complained to me about it, I pointed out that she was probably the first person in the world to attempt to re-seal bag (ie everyone else eats the lot).

I now see that I was wrong, there appear to be three other strange characters in the world!, and, they are on here!

Talk is cheap.

 

[battered]

I am lucky, when I'm hungry I eat enough to make me feel full.

I like a beer which we all know isn't that good for you but if I've had a blowout for some reason I'll cut back for a few days, I don't eat just for the sake of it.

I'm only guessing drug addiction eases a pain that can only be filled once you've had a 'hit' ? can't really see the same for food?

Like gambling, it's obviously psychological rather than physical because once you're 'full' you're full?

All addictions share the same characteristic, that "enough" is never enough . Food, alcohol, heroin. Addiction is addiction. I've had morphine, in hospital. It's an amazing drug, for me there were no downsides. But I'm not going to take it again unless I find myself in the same position and it's being administered.

 

[battered]

That's what I can't do, I'll either have none of it or eat the lot. I can't do the in-between. The idea of leaving uneaten sweets doesn't compute with me!

It's why you will never find confectionery in my cupboards. I don't allow myself to keep it in stock as I know I'll eat the lot in one sitting.

If I do feel like a treat I will buy a singular bar of chocolate or whatever in the newsagents even though I know I could more than likely buy a multipack in the supermarket for the same price. People tell me I'm stupid to do that but it's my way of limiting my consumption.

I used to live in France, a mate of mine there used to enjoy a cigarette. As in one cigarette. His strategy was to buy a packet of cigs and give it to his friend, then bum a fag from him for next couple of weeks. Then he'd buy another packet, naybe giving that to another friend, making sure his friends stayed in front. I asked him why he didn't buy his own fags and keep them in the car. "Because I'd smoke the lot. This way it's one or two a week."