What Does the Brain Have To Do With Hunger?

[Cy Burke]

What Does the Brain Have To Do With Hunger?

People once heard hearts beating fast and stomachs growling and believed these organs created love and hunger, but we no longer follow our heart and should no longer serve our stomach. Love, hunger, and satisfaction come from the brain. (Hard to believe, but true.)

Hunger dissipates only slowly after a meal—it takes about a half hour. Like most medicines, there is at least a half hour delay between swallowing and any response, which must wait for food and tablets to dissolve, be absorbed, and reach the target organ. Since food is the remedy for the brain’s hunger, failure to acknowledge a half hour delay can explain why we are all overdosing on calories. We don’t expect medicine to work immediately. Let’s apply that wisdom to food.

As we fill our stomachs, average weight continues to rise. With three out of four Americans now overweight, the problem is not a failure of individuals. It is the brain that matters, and a small delay after a small meal may be all we need.

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