We know that taking in more calories than we burn is ultimately what drives weight gain.  Wanting is the driver of excessive calorie intake and is a product of the motivational part of our appetite system in the brain.  Wanting is a subconscious force that drives eating and overeating. This motivation system was built for an environment where calories could be scarce and finding food involved work, and therefore the motivation to Go and Get Food!

Our understanding of how and why overweight/obesity happens is that this ancient motivation system has collided with the modern food environment. Today we're faced with ultra-processed, ultra-tasty, sugar-fat-salt filled, supersized, everywhere, anytime, aggressively-advertised, ultra-available, delivered right-to-your-front-door food environment!  

The outcome of this collision is called Wanting and comes about through a learning process called associate learning (ever heard of Pavlov’s Dog?).  When we eat these types of survival-promoting foods, they taste great which signals the motivation system.  The motivation system begins to associate the cues around with these tasty foods.  From there, just the cues themselves over time can drive the sensation of Wanting.  Ask yourself – how many nights do you sit down in front of the TV and then think ‘I could use a snack’?   

Want to learn more about how to tackle Wanting and what times of day you are at the highest risk? Contact the weight management experts at MWM. We understand the biology driving weight gain and will work with you to develop personalized strategies to tackle these problems.

Contact us to schedule a complimentary consult with a weight management physician to learn if MWM is right for you!