Who Wears the Pants, Me or My Reptilian Brain?
We have inherited many biological mechanisms from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. For instance, they should be capable of efficiently storing energy as fat tissue when they have access to a source of nutritious food and also maintaining their fat stores during food shortages. Our brains have adapted to those harsh conditions; however, modern humans typically do not encounter such circumstances.
Moreover, the repetition or learning of any behavior leads to the formation of neural pathways in the nervous system. Every time we perceive or experience something new, it leads to the formation of new neural connections in the brain.
This results in the brain accumulating a wealth of information through a complex network of neurons known as the connectome. These new connections, also referred to as neuroplasticity, have a substantial impact on shaping our behavior and decision-making. [1]
Neuroplasticity is the brain's capacity to alter and adjust as a result of experiences involving the formation of new synaptic connections and the reorganization of its structure, functions, or connections in response to internal or external stimuli. Old and unused connections are destroyed, and new connections are made dynamically.
These changes may happen without our conscious knowledge and can be impacted by different factors, such as emotions, experiences, and environmental signals. Consuming food rich in sugar, salt, and highly processed fast food can also rewire our brains and disrupt the normal mechanisms that regulate energy expenditure and appetite control. Therefore, dietary habits are influenced by genes and the connectome. [2]
Therefore, when we decide to follow a diet to lose weight, our bodies often try to resist the weight loss program after a short period of initial success. The trend of weight loss gradually slows down and may even come to a halt, and in some cases, it may even reverse. These compensatory mechanisms increase appetite to such........
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