By Peter Jaret
Photo by Amy Neunsinger

We live in a society of overwhelming abundance and variety, where grocery store shelves are jammed with a selection of foods that would have amazed previous generations. A constant barrage of advertising urges us to nibble, munch and load up our plates, and it's all too easy to satisfy our desire for fat and sugar.

Ironically, our bodies evolved when food was scarce and we had to work hard to hunt it and gather it. Nature designed us to eat as much as we can whenever we can, and to conserve every calorie we consume, storing any excess as fat. "We are genetically hard-wired not only to eat when there's food available but to overeat," says James O. Hill, M.D., director of the Center for Nutrition at the University of Colorado and co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry.

So we do. In the last two decades, the average American diet has expanded by hundreds of calories per day, and nearly two-thirds of the population is now overweight. If current trends of what researchers have dubbed an "obesigenic environment" continue, virtually all Americans will be dangerously overweight within a few decades. We can't change our genes--yet. But we can become aware of this vicious cycle of oversupply and overdemand. By recognizing the following seven triggers of overeating, we can mix and match simple, natural solutions to withstand them.

1. "lack" of willpower
You can't discipline yourself out of your desire for food. "Hunger is such a basic biological urge that no one can use willpower alone to resist it," says Bess Marcus, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School in Providence, R.I., and co-author of Active Living Every Day. "If you rely on willpower, you're almost destined to fail."

the solutions:

• Hide foods you don't want to eat--or just get rid of them. "When you see a food and you tell yourself you can't eat it, the temptation becomes very difficult to resist," says psychologist Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D., of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders in New Haven, Conn. "If you don't see it, it's much easier to avoid." Stocking your fridge with healthy options makes it all the easier.
• Turn off the TV, or get up and do something during the commercials. That way, you'll eliminate many of the messages prompting you to eat.
• Don't shop when you're hungry, and avoid the snack-food aisles to steer clear of temptations.
• Downsize your meals a quarter. "Studies show that people tend to passively overeat by about 25 percent," explains Hill, author of The Step Diet Book. "In other words, three-quarters of the way through a big bowl of pasta, you may be perfectly satisfied. But if there's more in the bowl, you'll eat it."
  
  2. eating on the run
  Everyone's overloaded with obligations, so a lot of meals are grabbed on the go--and too often that means high-fat, calorie-dense fast food. These meals-in-a-bag are usually wolfed down in minutes, which doesn't give your body time to signal that you're full.
  
  "It takes 10 or 15 minutes for satiety signals to kick in," says Hill. "Eat too quickly and you're almost guaranteed to overeat."
  
  the solutions:
• Take your time. Easier said than done, but it's worth it when your goal is to achieve a healthy weight. Steal an hour on Sunday to make a big batch of vegetable soup or a vegetarian pasta dish that you can heat up for dinner when you're pressed for time during the week.
• Eat mindfully. "Even if you're on the run, it's important to take the time to chew, taste and enjoy," says Kelly Allison, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania's Weight and Eating Disorders Program in Philadelphia. "Eliminate distractions like television or radio. Pay attention to the sensory qualities of the food you're eating, the taste, texture, aroma. Give your body time to know when you've had enough."
  
  3. nervous nibbling
  Stress makes some people overeat. "The fight-or-flight reaction to stress is hardwired into our brains; it's the equivalent of thinking, Oh my God, there's a lion in the grass," explains Brenda Wade, Ph.D., a family psychologist in San Francisco and co-author of What Mama Couldn't Tell Us About Love. "If you're eating something, it must mean there's no lion in the grass, so everything is fine. Eating becomes a way to ease anxiety."
  
  the solutions:
• Deal with the root of the problem. "Make a list of what's bothering you, and take direct action to eliminate unnecessary stresses," says Allison. Carry a small notebook with you and write down how you're feeling each time you eat.
• Do something other than eat when you're under pressure. Take a short walk around the block or up and down the stairs at work. Call a friend. Chew a piece of sugar-free gum. Luxuriate in a warm bath. Put on music and dance your cares away.

   

  4. yo-yo snacking
  Fast foods and treats are full of highly refined carbohydrates and sugar. They're digested so quickly that they send blood-sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride, causing hunger pangs soon after you eat them. Consequently, you can consume hundreds of calories before your body signals your brain that you're satisfied.
  
  the solutions:

• Find fulfillment with fewer calories. Fiber-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits keep hunger at bay--and they're more nutritious, too. A study at Children's Hospital in Boston found that higher-fiber diets are less likely to result in weight gain.
• Balance your plate. Satiating meals contain a healthy mix of protein, complex carbohydrates, fat and fiber, says Lisa High, R.D., a Colorado-based nutritionist. Examples include peanut butter on multi-grain bread or whole-wheat pasta with vegetables and chicken.
• Add water. Foods high in H20 control cravings without overloading calories. In a study at Pennsylvania State University, women who began a meal with a bowl of soup ate fewer calories overall.
  
  5. too tired to eat (well)
  "Studies have shown that people tend to overeat by as much as 40 percent when they're tired," says High. The body's wiring interprets exhaustion as a prompt to fuel up for more energy; also, fatigue makes it harder to be disciplined about the size and quality of meals. Scientists at the New York Obesity Research Center at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital have even identified "night-eating syndrome," which is associated with depression and low self-esteem.
  
  the solutions:
• Enjoy small meals throughout the day to keep your body energized. "If you still find yourself overeating before you go to bed," says High, "allow yourself a snack, but keep the portion small and choose something healthy like a small cup of yogurt with a sprinkle of granola."
  
• Rest up. If you're dragging during the day, take a 20-minute nap. Make a habit of going to bed early enough to get a full eight hours of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, try an herbal formula that contains valerian and lemon balm.
  
  6. feeling bored, angry or blue
  Eating is inherently pleasurable, and some foods also chemically affect your mood. Carbohydrates, for example, boost levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin. No wonder many people turn to food when they're feeling bored or upset.
  
  the solutions:
• See your doctor. If you suffer from clinical depression--feelings of worthlessness or a lack of pleasure in things you normally enjoy--it's time to consult a physician or therapist. Feelings of irritability and low energy, or an inability to concentrate are also important signs. "Depression should be taken seriously," says Wade. Anti-depressant drugs help some people. So, in mild cases, does St. John's wort.
• Move. Exercise is a good antidote for garden-variety blues. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity can improve self-esteem and ease mild forms of depression. It's also "essential" for maintaining weight loss, says Hill.
• Keep yourself busy. "Boredom is most often a problem for people who don't have a highly structured schedule, such as people who are out of work," says Allison. Distract yourself by organizing the house, writing letters, tending to the garden or doing volunteer work.
  
  7. hungry all the time
  You may think you're hungry, but most Americans don't know what genuine hunger is, says Hill. The real problem is that most of us eat so often, and in so many different locations, that we experience "hunger cues" almost everywhere we go. So our appetites can be whetted even when we've just had a big meal.
  
  the solutions:
• "Limit the places that you eat," says Allison. That means no more mindless noshing in front of the TV or in bed. Eat exclusively in one room, preferably sitting at a table. If you need a snack at work, get up from your desk and go to the employee cafeteria or break room. Make a rule not to eat in the car or while you're walking.
• Do a hunger check. "Imagine a scale of one to 10," says High. "One is ravenous, 10 is Thanksgiving-dinner full, and five is neutral, neither hungry nor full. You're genuinely hungry when you hit about a three. That's when it's important to eat something, before you become so hungry that you'll do what we call 'counter surfing'--eating anything on the counter." Rating your hunger pangs also will help you become more aware of feelings of satiety. When you've had enough to be comfortable but not completely stuffed, you'll be at about seven on the scale.                                                                                                                                                                                    Read more Healthy Eating articles.