Is the Junk-Food Gene Making You Crave Fattening Foods? Plus, How to Overcome It

by www.SixWise.com

Junk food, fast food, we know it’s unhealthy, yet we still order takeout and frequent drive-throughs, sometimes several times a week. The top five reasons Americans eat junk food are convenience, availability, no time to cook, it’s quick and affordable -- but at what cost to their health?

Kids with the so-called “junk-food gene” are more likely to eat junk food -- and more of it -- than kids who don’t.

A study conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research showed that a quarter of the calories Americans consume come from nutrient-dense choices, otherwise known as “junk food.”

Soft drinks accounted for 7.1 percent of the calories consumed by the 4,700 people surveyed. Altogether, soft drinks, sweets, desserts and alcoholic beverages made up nearly one-quarter (23.8 percent) of the total calorie intake!

Junk Food Cravings -- A Genetic Link

Could it be that genes are responsible for this overload of junk food in our diets?

Well, a study released by the New England Journal of Medicine reported that children with a specific gene variant were more likely to eat more energy-dense food, meaning fattening unhealthy foods.

The study however did not reveal a difference in metabolism between the kids with the genes and those without it, meaning the gene influenced the way they ate, but not necessarily the way their body digested and used the calories.

“The way the genes influence obesity is through behavior, rather than metabolism,” said Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the weight management and wellness center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, on MedicineNet.com. “That means this is something you can work on. And, the good news is that a lot of kids who had the gene weren’t overweight.”

These findings are “hopeful” because the researchers didn’t find a difference in metabolism, he said. In other words … just because you have the gene it doesn’t mean you’re destined to be fat … although you may tend to want to eat a bit extra.

Upon studying the eating habits of 97 children, the researchers found children with the variant gene consumed around 100 calories more per meal -- this translates to an extra pound of weight about every 12 days!

Dr. Rao stressed the importance of practicing prevention of obesity when raising children.

“The important message from this study is that prevention is key,” said Rao on MedicineNet.com. “If you have a child whether they’re overweight or not, if they have a predilection for seeking junk food, you need to intervene. The emphasis should be on portion control. If you restrict a food completely, the message children get is that there’s something special about that food, and then they’re going to overindulge when they do get it.”

Obesity Rates in America are Skyrocketing

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in adults has increased by 60 percent within the past 20 years and obesity in children has tripled in the past 30 years and 90% of them have not been properly diagnosed.

This increase of obesity raises concern because of its dangerous repercussions upon the health of Americans. Obesity has been linked to the risk of many diseases and health conditions including:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Stroke
• Liver and Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility

Five Ways to Overcome Your Junk Food Addiction

Does the thought of cheese puffs, buttery popcorn, ice cream, candy and other “forbidden foods” make you salivate? Remember it’s OK to indulge on occasion, as completely depriving yourself of your favorite junk food will only make you want it more.

Even if you or your kids have the “junk-food gene,” you can still adhere to a healthy diet. Often this involves reprogramming the way you think about food.

As you eat, think about the food, give thanks for it, and really taste each bite. When you savor your food in this way, you will feel full and satisfied on much less food. If you have trouble feeling calm and focused when you eat, or tend to eat in a hurry (in front of the TV, while driving, standing at the kitchen counter, etc.) or for emotional reasons, try reprogramming these unhealthy habits with guided meditations. Some other practical ways to take back control over your eating habits include:

• Go to your local supermarket and stock up on healthy foods and snacks such as fruits, granola, yogurt, nuts, raisins and veggies.
• Reduce your intake of carbonated beverages like soda and drink more water.
• Journal your eating habits and replace calorie-dense foods with healthy alternatives.
• Stay active and keep yourself busy. Focusing on something else such as a hobby or other activity will reduce the likelihood of becoming bored and reaching for a bag of chips.
• Cook meals at home using fresh ingredients. This will give you a greater appreciation of what you’re eating and the ability to experience the true flavor of the foods.

Do you have a tendency to default to junk foods simply because you don’t have time to cook? With these quick dinner ideas you can create delicious meals in no time:Resist the Drive-Through With These Quick Dinner Ideas

Simple Side Dishes and Snacks: Keep your icebox stocked with frozen, canned, or fresh veggies to accompany a healthy meal. Some good fresh vegetables and fruits to have on hand are celery, carrots, and tomatoes and oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit and grapes.

Easy Baked Potato: You can have this with your meal or even as a meal by itself and in less than 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the potato, then microwave on high for about 4 minutes. Rinse it again so it's wet. Finish baking in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Make this potato a meal by adding steamed broccoli, chopped pimentos, salsa, plain yogurt, sautéed mushrooms, tuna or sweet corn. This also works great with sweet potatoes!

Create Your Own Pasta: Put any of these toppings or a combination of these for a delicious pasta dinner. Ideally, choose whole-grain pasta rather than regular pastafor more nutrition and health benefits:

• Mushrooms                                      
• Spinach                                            
• Fresh basil and white beans                    
• Roasted red pepper
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Zucchini

Colorful Salads: Salads are a great source of vitamin C and with a few ingredients act as a great meal in themselves. You can dress up your salad with several tasty healthy options. Some ideas are grilled chicken, raw almonds, raw sunflower seeds, cranberries, vegetables (choose different colored vegetables such as carrots, purple cabbage, green and red pepper for variety), feta cheese, olive oil and olives.

Creative Omelets: All you need is a few fixings such as green, yellow or red peppers, mushrooms and onions for a quick dinner.

Cook Meals for the Week and Freeze: Cook up some large-volume food -- a hearty batch of soup, a pan of lasagna, turkey chili and lots of whole-wheat pasta or brown rice. Freeze the meals in small containers and take out as needed.

The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup Is This Disguised Sugar causing and/or affecting diabetes, especially in children?

Is This Disguised Sugar Affecting and Contributing to Diabetes?

Christopher R. Mohr, MS, RD, LDN

 from Diabetes Health 

(My Note: Please take a few minutes and watch this video that tells you the truth about the 30 Billion dollar campaign out there that is trying to convince that High Fructose Corn Syrup is safe. AMA tells us its safe but their own studies say differently, FDA says its safe but their own studies say its not. Please don't trust the government with your health, do your own research and you decide, make and INFORMED decision. : end My Note) 

One of the more popular aliases for sugar today is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—a corn-based sweetener that has been on the market since approximately 1970.

You know how important it is to control the sugar and carbohydrates in your diet. So you read food labels and listen to your body cues to make sure you’re getting what you need to stay healthy.

But what happens when a manufacturer disguises sugar as something you don’t recognize?

Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. In fact, one of the more popular aliases for sugar today is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—a corn-based sweetener that has been on the market since approximately 1970.

According to a commentary in the April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, between 1970 and 1990, the consumption of HFCS increased over 1,000 percent.

“HFCS now represents more than 40 percent of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener in soft drinks in the United States,” write George A. Bray, Samara Joy Nielsen and Barry M. Popkin, the authors of the commentary.

HFCS—It’s Here to Stay

Today, food companies use HFCS—a mixture of fructose and glucose—because it’s inexpensive, easy to transport and keeps foods moist. And because HFCS is so sweet, it’s cost effective for companies to use small quantities of HCFS in place of other more expensive sweeteners or flavorings.

For these reasons and others, HFCS isn’t going away any time soon.

That is why, to best manage diabetes, you need to know what HFCS is and how to identify it in products.

Understanding Glucose and Fructose

Since HFCS is a blend of glucose and fructose, it’s important to understand the role each plays in your body. All sugars, indeed all carbohydrates, have four calories per gram.

But that is just part of the story.

Glucose (dextrose) is a monosaccharide (basically, a simple sugar), which is the form of sugar that is transported in the blood and is used by the body for energy. This is what you measure when testing your blood glucose or blood “sugar.”

Fructose is also a monosaccharide and is often referred to as “fruit sugar,” because it is the primary carbohydrate in most fruits. It’s also the primary sugar in honey and half the carbohydrate in sucrose (table sugar). However, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or require insulin to be transported into cells, as do other carbohydrates.

What It Means to You and Your Diabetes

As a person with diabetes, you know how important it is to control your blood glucose and insulin levels to avoid complications. So, it would seem that a lack of glucose and insulin secretion from fructose consumption would be a good thing.

However, insulin also controls another hormone, leptin, so its release is necessary.

Leptin tells your body to stop eating when it’s full by signaling the brain to stop sending hunger signals. Since fructose doesn’t stimulate glucose levels and insulin release, there’s no increase in leptin levels or feeling of satiety. This can leave you ripe for unhealthy weight gain.

The Fate of Fructose in the Body

Fructose requires a different metabolic pathway than other carbohydrates because it basically skips glycolysis (normal carbohydrate metabolism). Because of this, fructose is an unregulated source of “acetyl CoA,” or the starting material for fatty acid synthesis. This, coupled with unstimulated leptin levels, is like opening the flood gates of fat deposition.

Should Fructose Be Eliminated From the Diet?

It’s not that you should eliminate fructose from your diet, but you should be aware of how much you’re consuming. After all, fructose is the primary sugar found in fruits, which provide valuable nutrients. In this case, a little fructose is fine. It becomes a problem only when someone consumes high levels of fructose or HFCS, which is now present in virtually all commercial foods (see below).

Check the Food Labels

While there is no way of knowing exactly how much HFCS is in a given product, you can read the food labels to gauge sugar levels. So, for example, if HFCS is one of the first ingredients listed (in soft drinks or syrup, for example), it is safe to assume there’s a lot in the product. If HFCS is in the products you buy, make sure it is either low on the ingredient list or that the products list very few total grams of sugar (which is how HFCS is shown on ingredient labels).

What Does It All Mean?

If HFCS is one of the first ingredients listed on a food label, don’t eat it. Make a mental list of the worst culprits, such as regular soft drinks and many highly sweetened breakfast cereals. HFCS alone won’t make you fat, but when HFCS is high on the ingredient list, the food is not the best choice. As part of a lifestyle that has many of us eating too much and moving too little, we’re putting our health at risk if we don’t choose our foods carefully.

So what’s the answer? It’s easy. Avoid HFCS by reading food labels and shopping the grocery store’s perimeter: Produce is on one side, seafood, meat and poultry on another, and dairy products, eggs and bread on the third. Avoid the center aisles, which are mostly stocked with highly processed foods.

The more you stick to fresh whole foods and avoid commercial and highly processed foods, the less HFCS you will consume.

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Common Foods High in HFCS

• Regular soft drinks
• Fruit juice and fruit drinks that are not 100 percent juice
• Pancake syrups
• Popsicles
• Fruit-flavored yogurts
• Frozen yogurts
• Ketchup and BBQ sauces
• Jarred and canned pasta sauces
• Canned soups
• Canned fruits (if not in its own juice)
• Breakfast cereals
• Highly sweetened breakfast cereals

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Problems Caused by Too Much HFCS

• It can lead to higher caloric intake
• It can lead to an increase in bodyweight
• It fools your body into thinking it’s hungry
• It increases the amount of processed foods you eat, thereby decreasing your intake of nutrient-dense foods
• It may increase insulin resistance and triglycerides

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Data Is Scarce . . . But Telling

Although data on humans is scarce, it does exist.

According to a study published in the October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who consumed 28 percent of their total calories from sucrose (half the carbohydrate in sucrose is fructose) as opposed to artificial sweetener had a higher caloric intake, body weight, fat mass and blood pressure after 10 weeks.

This is no mystery since higher caloric intake leads to greater weight gain. In the sucrose group, there was an increase of a little more than 400 calories, which would result in an approximate weight gain of almost seven pounds during the 10-week study if all other factors were constant. However, there was only about half that weight gain in this group. Therefore, the authors estimate that 48 percent of the excess energy intake from sucrose was used for other energy-demanding body processes, such as lipogenesis (the creation of fat).

To make matters worse, fructose consumption is tied to insulin resistance in rodents and increased triglyceride secretion (suggesting that it may have the same effect on humans, too). Considering that type 2 is a common co-morbidity of overweight and obesity, insulin resistance is common. Therefore, if fructose does, in fact, have the same insulin-resistant effect in humans as it does in rodents, individuals would be exacerbating the issue by consuming too much of it.