The Fattest Person on the Island
Obesity and overeating are not an inevitable consequence of human nature. The author demonstrates through the example of non-industrialized societies that with a traditional lifestyle, even the "fattest" person remains metabolically healthy.
The reason is the lack of constant access to hyper-caloric food and an environment that artificially stimulates appetite. The brains of these people operate under conditions to which they are evolutionarily adapted, so the systems of satiety and body weight control function correctly.
The Problem of Choice
Eating behavior is not a single decision but a chain of competing neural processes. The motivational, cognitive, and motor areas of the brain constantly "compete" with each other, determining what we will eat and how. The choice that wins is not the most rational one, but the strongest signal, amplified by experience, emotions, and the current physiological state. In conditions of abundance, the brain increasingly opts for quick calories because they provide instant rewards.
The Temptation Formula
Temptation arises when food simultaneously combines high caloric content, pleasant taste, and easy accessibility. Such products maximally activate the brain's reward systems, primarily the dopamine system. At this moment, control from the conscious areas weakens, and behavior becomes automatic. A person eats not because they need energy, but because the brain is "trained" to consider such food especially valuable.
The United States of Food Reinforcement
The modern food environment, especially in industrialized countries, has turned into a system of constant neural reinforcement. The food industry deliberately creates products that maximally stimulate pleasure centers, increasing cravings and decreasing feelings of satiety. As a result, the brain constantly receives signals to consume food, even when fully energy-supplied. This leads to chronic overeating, leptin resistance, and a breakdown of natural body weight regulation mechanisms.
The Economics of Digestion
The brain manages nutrition not based on abstract notions of "benefit," but on energy efficiency. It evaluates food in terms of how much energy can be obtained and at what cost. Foods that require minimal effort to digest and quickly raise available energy levels are perceived as the most advantageous. In the modern environment, this leads to a systematic shift in choice towards processed, soft, and calorie-dense foods.
The Satiety Factor
The feeling of fullness is determined not by the number of calories consumed, but by the complex work of neural circuits receiving signals from the intestines, adipose tissue, and blood. The brain focuses on volume, texture, speed of consumption, and hormonal responses, not just on the energy value of food. Therefore, different products with the same caloric content can provide fundamentally different sensations of satiety and influence subsequent eating behavior differently.
The Hungry Neuron
The basis of hunger lies in the activation of specialized neurons sensitive to energy deficiency. These cells enhance motivation to seek food, increase sensitivity to food stimuli, and suppress alternative forms of behavior. In cases of chronic overeating or strict diets, their functioning is distorted, causing the brain to signal hunger constantly even with sufficient energy reserves.
Rhythms
Appetite and eating behavior are subject to circadian and biological rhythms. Sleep, light, activity level, and meal timing directly affect the brain's sensitivity to hunger and satiety signals. Disruption of these rhythms—late meals, lack of sleep, chaotic schedules—intensifies cravings for calorie-dense food and reduces the effectiveness of natural body weight control mechanisms.
Life in the Modern Rhythm
The modern lifestyle constantly keeps the brain in a state of overload: an excess of stimuli, chronic stress, lack of sleep, and irregular eating disrupt the functioning of systems responsible for hunger and satiety. In such conditions, the brain more often chooses quick and energy-dense products because they temporarily reduce stress levels and provide a sense of reward. This exacerbates overeating and reinforces pathological eating patterns.
The Human Computer
The brain operates as a computational system, continuously processing signals from the external environment and from within the body. It matches information about energy reserves, hormonal background, emotions, and experiences, after which it forms behavior. Eating decisions are the result of data processing, not conscious choice. If incoming signals are distorted (stress, hyper-palatable food, rhythm disruptions), the "output" of the system almost inevitably leads to overeating.
How to Outsmart the Hungry Brain
The author concludes that fighting appetite directly is futile—the brain will always win. An effective strategy involves changing the environment and conditions under which food decisions are made: normalizing sleep and rhythms, reducing constant stimulation, choosing foods with a high satiety factor, and minimizing food triggers. This approach allows one to bypass ancient hunger mechanisms without entering into direct conflict with them and restore natural control over nutrition and body weight.
