Controlling weight is a global issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 17% of children and teens aged 2 to 19 are classified as obese. Can exercise help manage food cravings and obesity?
Obesity is especially troubling among adults. Statistics reveal that 36.5% of adults in the United States are obese. The country ranks 12th worldwide for obesity. Palau tops the list, with approximately 47.10% of its population being obese. Other countries like Nauru, Marshall Islands, and Samoa also have high obesity rates.
Several factors contribute to obesity, including poor diet and lack of physical activity. With the rise of technology, many jobs require people to sit in front of a computer all day. After work, people often relax on the couch instead of engaging in physical activities. Such routines leave little time for exercise, and constant food cravings further contribute to obesity.
WebMD states that most young women constantly crave food, with around 70% of young men also frequently experiencing cravings.
Before discussing prevention, let’s understand why we crave food. Mind Body Green notes that dehydration is a common cause of food cravings. Since our bodies are about 70% water, not drinking enough can make us feel hungry when we are actually thirsty.
Food cravings can also be triggered by mental factors, primarily serotonin. This neurotransmitter is present in both the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. Low serotonin levels can make us crave food because eating releases a small amount of serotonin.
Emotional factors, or psychological triggers, can also lead to food cravings. These triggers are linked to feelings of sadness, unhappiness, or anger. Eating during such times, known as comfort eating, temporarily improves your mood. Help Guide reports that emotional food cravings are sudden and often directed toward specific comfort foods like pizza, cheesecake, or burgers.
There are various ways to reduce food cravings. Some suggest keeping comfort foods out of reach. Drinking water can also help fill your stomach without consuming extra calories. Authority Nutrition recommends eating more protein, using spinach extract supplements, and avoiding supermarket trips when hungry to curb cravings and overeating.
While these tips are helpful, exercise stands out as an effective method to reduce food cravings and provide additional health benefits. Wellness Resources points out that exercise can lower the activity related to food cravings. A study with 35 women, including 17 who were obese, showed that a morning exercise routine reduced food-related arousal.
The findings suggest that exercise can help obese individuals control their food intake and weight. Frequent exercise appears to be a key method to reduce food cravings. Simple morning exercises significantly diminished responses to images of comfort food, indicating that exercise may be an effective way to lower food cravings and intake.
