{"id":2668,"date":"2008-11-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-07T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/your-brain-on-portions-and-pleasure.html"},"modified":"2016-09-21T10:28:01","modified_gmt":"2016-09-21T14:28:01","slug":"your-brain-on-portions-and-pleasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2668","title":{"rendered":"Your Brain on Portions and Pleasure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_HAl9r2q_-j0\/SQ7pRbwaSGI\/AAAAAAAAA_0\/7p8fgx0IvYc\/s1600-h\/BrainOnTray.jpg\"><img data-opt-id=338024208  fetchpriority=\"high\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264401500160542818\" style=\"FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_HAl9r2q_-j0\/SQ7pRbwaSGI\/AAAAAAAAA_0\/7p8fgx0IvYc\/s320\/BrainOnTray.jpg?w=735\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><span>This report speaks directly to the message we are trying to get across: that overweight and obesity is about more than just molecule micromanagment. <\/span><br \/><span><\/span><br \/><span>To love your food and reintroduce pleasurable eating, can lead to neural changes that can help reduce overconsumption. <\/span><br \/><span><span><br \/><\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.reutershealth.com\/archive\/2008\/10\/17\/eline\/links\/20081017elin006.html\">In this study<\/a>, <span>they used chocolate milkshakes, actually, to test the pleasure centers in the brain. It turns out that the subjects who had less activity in this area (while eating the milkshake) were more likely to overconsume and become overweight.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at this link, you&#8217;ll see that the researchers have great data, but interpret their results backwards (I believe). They say that the pleasure center neurochemical, dopamine, may cause consumption &#8212; either too much or too little.<\/p>\n<p>But I think these brain changes are not the cause of disordered eating, but the effect of disordered eating. They simply reflect the fact that these people already eat for the wrong reasons &#8212; their consumption is not about food and pleasure, it&#8217;s about filling some other need. <\/span><br \/><\/span><\/span><span><\/span><br \/><span><strong>What does this have to do with portions?<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span>Mindless eating leads to &#8220;passive overconsumption&#8221;. If you are eating in the car, while walking back to your desk, or playing video games, you tend to overeat. This, obviously, leads to overweight. <\/span><br \/><span><\/span><br \/><span>A big part of our Mediterranean approach is to include the eating behaviors that lead to more appreciation of your food, and so more control over pacing, and so more control over portions in the process. <\/span><br \/><span><\/span><br \/><span>Your goal is to eat all you want &#8230; but just want less. This can only be accomplished with the combination of health food selection (a la the Mediterranean food pyramid) along with new healthy eating behaviors that limit overconsumption. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This report speaks directly to the message we are trying to get across: that overweight and obesity is about more than just molecule micromanagment. To love your food and reintroduce &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[494],"tags":[345],"class_list":["post-2668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-brain"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Qv5g-H2","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2513,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2513","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":0},"title":"Brained By Obesity","author":"Will Clower","date":"August 26, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Need another reason to eat well? How about brain damage?? Obesity degrades your brain. Not only obesity, even overweight does it. What does this mean? Loosing your Gray Matter can't be a good thing, but the study below only looked at the volume of brain tissue -- not how well\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4675,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=4675","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":1},"title":"Weight Weight, I Can&#8217;t Remember! How Being Overweight May Affect Memory","author":"Will Clower","date":"October 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"via Amanda MacMillan @ Time Health Want to stay sharp well into old age? Keep an eye on your waistline, suggests a recent study from the University of Arizona. Having a higher body mass index (BMI) can negatively impact brain functioning in older adults, researchers say, and there\u2019s evidence that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"WeightLossScale.jpg","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/WeightLossScale-300x278.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8023,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=8023","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":2},"title":"Chocolate For Your Emotional Health","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 17, 2020","format":"image","excerpt":"If you\u2019ve ever wondered if\u00a0your love affair with chocolate is a one-sided relationship,\u00a0don\u2019t worry.\u00a0The latest\u00a0nutritional\u00a0research has some\u00a0very\u00a0good news. Because February is \"Heart Month\" as well as the month for Valentines Day, we will give you all the reasons why this delicious food is so good for you! Your Brain\u00a0On\u00a0Chocolate The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mother and Daughter cooking with chocolate","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mother-and-daughter-cooking-with-chocolate.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mother-and-daughter-cooking-with-chocolate.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mother-and-daughter-cooking-with-chocolate.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mother-and-daughter-cooking-with-chocolate.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Mother-and-daughter-cooking-with-chocolate.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1842,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1842","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":3},"title":"For Valentines Day, Chocolate and Love on The Brain","author":"Will Clower","date":"February 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Chocoholics rejoice!! There actually is a right way to love your chocolate, and it\u2019s not just about eating less of it. The key to knowing which is which and why lies inside your mind and brain. Anyone who really loves their chocolate knows that this wonderfully delicious food must contain\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"Heart","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Heart-1-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2097,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=2097","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":4},"title":"Does Chinese Food Make You Fat?","author":"Will Clower","date":"May 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Sorry, but that's a trick question. It's not the\u00a0Chinese\u00a0food per se, but something they put IN the Chinese food that's packing on your poundage.\u00a0The flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG), most often associated with Chinese food and after-dinner headaches, may also be expanding your horizons (for your waistline, anyway), according to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-SxmMCXqEIiM\/TeD4-w5KP4I\/AAAAAAAADGs\/N43KyupBDHI\/s320\/MSG%2BMMgood.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15676,"url":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=15676","url_meta":{"origin":2668,"position":5},"title":"Reset Without Restriction","author":"Will Clower","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"After the celebrations of December, it\u2019s completely understandable to feel the need for a reset. 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This is the time of year when our bodies naturally crave a return to predictability,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?cat=494"},"img":{"alt_text":"REset REstart REfocus January pic","src":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/REset-REstart-REfocus-January-e1772044235641.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/REset-REstart-REfocus-January-e1772044235641.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/REset-REstart-REfocus-January-e1772044235641.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/REset-REstart-REfocus-January-e1772044235641.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/mlcmmqmgggev.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/REset-REstart-REfocus-January-e1772044235641.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2668"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3663,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2668\/revisions\/3663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}