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MSD · 04-06-2010, 07:49 AM

Cocain? Yes. Heroin? No. It's like cocaine addiction because of the neurological reward produced by the mesolimbic pathway when we do something that feels good. It's not quite the same, though, as cocaine is a triple reuptake inhibitor and most of what you eat does not act directly on neutrotransmitters. There are also genetic components to overeating and obesity like the FTO gene and endogenous production of the lipin enzyme.

How much does this affect our health? I don't know; the scientists who research these things say it's significant so I defer to them and accept that it's significant.

I think that a lot of inherent problems could be overcome if people knew more about health. Our country as a whole is misinformed and undereducated on health and fitness. We still put grains and starches at the bottom of the food pyramid and the average American's diet is over 60% calories from carbohydrates; the difference between simple/refined grains/starches, and complex carbohydrates and fiber is lost on people. People worry about avoiding fat, trans fats are big news so people are starting to understand their inherent problems, but there's a huge difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, and most people have never been taught the differences. With regular exercise, a healthy diet is around 40% of calories from fat, 40% from protein, and 20% from carbs, with lean protein from white meat, fish, etc. making up the majority of the protein consumption, unsaturated fats making up the majority of fat consumption, and complex carbs (especially vegetables with lots of fiber) making up the majority of carb intake on days when you're not lifting, with more simple sugars and starches for energy on lifting days or before intense workouts. Most people would be shocked and appalled at the recommendation that you have so much fat, but the truth is that unless you're working out, all the excess calories get stored as fat.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say something that amounts to "I worked out today, so I'm going to reward myself with something sweet," I wouldn't be a penny richer because I'd carry a slingshot around and use the nickels to shoot cupcakes and muffins out of peoples' hands to buy time for me to explain to them that eating 400 calories, mostly from flour and sugar, pretty much negates all that work they just did. Then there's the myth that women shouldn't life weights because they'll bulk up. If you know little enough about muscle building to believe that, no amount of lifting is going to make you look like a freak; women with muscle definition are sexy as hell and that's where you'll end up if you do a full workout.

04-06-2010, 07:49 AM	#12 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	Cocain? Yes. Heroin? No. It's like cocaine addiction because of the neurological reward produced by the mesolimbic pathway when we do something that feels good. It's not quite the same, though, as cocaine is a triple reuptake inhibitor and most of what you eat does not act directly on neutrotransmitters. There are also genetic components to overeating and obesity like the FTO gene and endogenous production of the lipin enzyme. How much does this affect our health? I don't know; the scientists who research these things say it's significant so I defer to them and accept that it's significant. I think that a lot of inherent problems could be overcome if people knew more about health. Our country as a whole is misinformed and undereducated on health and fitness. We still put grains and starches at the bottom of the food pyramid and the average American's diet is over 60% calories from carbohydrates; the difference between simple/refined grains/starches, and complex carbohydrates and fiber is lost on people. People worry about avoiding fat, trans fats are big news so people are starting to understand their inherent problems, but there's a huge difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, and most people have never been taught the differences. With regular exercise, a healthy diet is around 40% of calories from fat, 40% from protein, and 20% from carbs, with lean protein from white meat, fish, etc. making up the majority of the protein consumption, unsaturated fats making up the majority of fat consumption, and complex carbs (especially vegetables with lots of fiber) making up the majority of carb intake on days when you're not lifting, with more simple sugars and starches for energy on lifting days or before intense workouts. Most people would be shocked and appalled at the recommendation that you have so much fat, but the truth is that unless you're working out, all the excess calories get stored as fat. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say something that amounts to "I worked out today, so I'm going to reward myself with something sweet," I wouldn't be a penny richer because I'd carry a slingshot around and use the nickels to shoot cupcakes and muffins out of peoples' hands to buy time for me to explain to them that eating 400 calories, mostly from flour and sugar, pretty much negates all that work they just did. Then there's the myth that women shouldn't life weights because they'll bulk up. If you know little enough about muscle building to believe that, no amount of lifting is going to make you look like a freak; women with muscle definition are sexy as hell and that's where you'll end up if you do a full workout.