Weight control is a common issue worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 17% of children and young people between the ages of 2 to 19 are classified as obese. But can exercise help manage food cravings and tackle obesity?
Obesity is a particularly serious issue among adults. When examining adult statistics, the outlook is even more concerning. The CDC states that approximately 36.5% of adults in the United States are obese. Globally, the United States is ranked as the 12th most obese country. World Atlas ranks Palau as the most obese country, with about 47.10% of its population being obese. Other countries with high obesity rates include Nauru, the Marshall Islands, and Samoa.
Several factors contribute to obesity, including unhealthy diets and insufficient daily physical activity. With the advancement of technology, many jobs now require people to sit in front of computers all day. After a long day at work, many of us come home and relax on the couch, leaving little time for exercise. Another significant contributor to obesity is persistent food cravings.
WebMD notes that almost all young women and about 70% of young men frequently experience food cravings. Before figuring out how to prevent these cravings, it’s essential to understand why they occur in the first place. Mind Body Green suggests that one common reason for food cravings is dehydration. Our bodies are made up of around 70% water, and if we don’t drink enough water daily, we can become dehydrated. Dehydration can trick your body into feeling hungry, thus triggering cravings.
Mental factors also play a role in food cravings. One of the most common reasons is serotonin, a neurotransmitter found in both the brain and digestive tract. Low serotonin levels can prompt food cravings because eating can temporarily increase serotonin levels. The next time serotonin levels dip, your brain might signal a craving based on this previous boost.
Emotional factors, known as psychological triggers, can also lead to food cravings. When you feel sad, unhappy, or angry, emotional eating can make you feel better, often leading to cravings for comfort foods like pizza, cheesecake, or burgers. Help Guide reports that these kinds of emotional food cravings are sudden and specific.
There are many strategies to curb food cravings. Some people suggest removing all comfort foods from your home. Drinking water can also help fill your stomach without adding calories. Authority Nutrition recommends eating more protein, using spinach extract supplements, and avoiding grocery shopping while hungry as additional ways to reduce cravings.
Although these are all useful tips, one method that appears particularly effective in reducing food cravings while offering other health benefits is exercise. Wellness Resources conducted a study on 35 women, 17 of whom were obese, while the rest were at a healthy weight. All participants completed a morning exercise routine, and their responses were monitored on days when they did not exercise. The study found that the arousal activity linked to food significantly decreased with regular exercise, especially among obese women.
This suggests that exercise could be a successful strategy for managing food intake and controlling weight. Recent studies indicate that regular exercise may be critical in reducing food cravings. A simple morning exercise routine showed noticeable reductions in arousal activity when participants were shown images of comfort food, indicating that exercise might effectively eliminate food cravings and reduce overall food consumption.