My Capstone Experience

The ultimate, long-term objective at Concordia College is to BREW (Become Responsibly Engaged in the World). Students, like myself, take a course called the capstone which is meant to be the final experience that gathers all the knowledge from the years spent at college helping us BREW. Neurochemistry has exceeded my expectations of the capstone experience. My experience so far, particularly in this class, has allowed me to attain the five goals set for us that are as follows:
Instill a love for learning
In this course, I have been able to learn about the chemistry and neuroscience involved in neurological diseases. There were limited assignments and tests, so completely the work and putting in the effort was up to me. It was easy to fall behind because it was not accessed if I had done the work or not. This started off being challenging at the beginning of the semester, but eventually I was able to motivate myself because I actually wanted to learn about the subject. This class heightens my interest in subjects like chemistry and psychology with relation to neurological disorders.
Develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities
I have also picked up skills from taking this course. Throughout college, I have dreaded the moment a wordy academic article is placed in front of me. By taking this course, along with neurobiology the semester before, I was able to develop a system for reading these articles that worked well for me. I no longer have the dread of reading in-depth articles, instead, I have picked up a few on my own just to read about an interesting subject.

Develop an understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections
This class has been relatable to many of the class I have taken. I have been able to connect certain subjects with topics I have learned in neurochemistry, anatomy and physiology, genetics, biochemistry, amongst others. The class had a range of students and their background of classes, I have been able to have the perspective of psychology and biology as well. There was always something to learn from each other in the open environment that was allotted in class.  It was also interesting to think and learn about how these neurological disorders can be perceived in other cultures and how it differs or is similar to our own culture.
Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding
This class has enabled me to learn a lot about myself. It has increased my interest in neuroscience, which I am now trying to minor in. It also has made me aware of how important exercise and diet is for keeping myself healthy, not only physically, but mentally as well. A major point for this class I have taken away is a better understanding of where I stand in relation to moral and ethical issues discussed in context with neurological disorders.
Encourage responsible participation in the world
Through the community out-reach project associated with this class and a Social Work course, I was able to participate in community awareness and decrease the stigma of mental health disorders. This was a great experience because it allowed up to activity plan, organize, and participate in a community project about something we cared a lot about.
Overall, my experience with neurochemistry has been one I will not forget. This class has further instilled my love for science courses and has allotted me a way to continue BREWing once graduated. I would highly recommend this course as a capstone.

The Capstone Experience

Throughout my years at Concordia BREWing (becoming responsibly engaged in the world) has been emphasized. In my capstone class, neurochemistry, we were supposed to tie everything together and finish learning how to BREW and fulfill Concordia’s goals for liberal learning which are:

  1. Instill a love for learning
  2. Develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities
  3. Develop an understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections
  4. Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding
  5. Encourage responsible participation in the world

So, did this happen? Yes. For me the capstone experience (as well as the rest of my education) has helped me BREW and fulfill all of these goals of liberal learning.
First, the love for learning. Although at various points through my education I have been extremely frustrated with the seemingly endless homework and studying, I somehow still like learning and want to continue learning new things in the future.
Next there is developing foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities. I think I have successfully accomplished this. Throughout my classes I have learned a lot, and I will be able to apply a good portion to whatever I end up doing in life. As for neurochemistry, a good portion of this class was learning about research, discussions, teaching others, and working in groups. This (along with all the science) will be very valuable and easily transferable to whatever I do in the future.
Developing and understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections is the next goal for liberal learning. Throughout my education, I have been exposed to a lot of different cultures and perspectives. I have also been exposed to a wide variety of different disciplines (everything from art, to religion, to physics). I have learned about an extremely large range of disciplines and throughout all these classes applying our knowledge to various disciplines. For neurochemistry specifically, I have also learned about a wide range of topics. For example, we have had discussions on: chemistry, biology, psychology, death and dying, medicine, and ethics. It has been a fun and educational experience and it has helped me learn to apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge.
Next is cultivating an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding. I think I have also accomplished this goal. Throughout my education I have been exposed to many cultural and spiritual perspectives and this has helped me develop my own examined understanding. In neurochemistry especially we have discussed ethics and morality in the context of disease. Having these discussions has helped me to develop the skills to discuss complicated ethical issues with a wide variety of people and helped me further develop an ethical self-understanding.
Finally we get back to BREW, encouraging responsible participation in the world. Being a responsible participant in the world can be interpreted in many different ways. I understand it as committing to never stop educating myself and to apply my education for the benefit other people and the environment. It is also a commitment to uphold my values and fight for what I think is right.
Overall, I have learned a lot throughout neurochemistry and in the rest of my college classes. There have been times it has been though and I thought I could never make it through, but overall I am glad I came to Concordia. Although I initially thought it was just a cheesy orientation slogan I will admit that I have fully embraced BREWing. I think it is everyone’s responsibility to be lifelong learners and to be responsibly engaged in the world, and I would like to thank Concordia and this capstone class for helping me each these goals.

Correlating High Fructose Corn Syrup Consumption With CNS Insulin Signaling and Obesity.

First marketed in the 1970’s by the Clinton Corn Processing Company and reaching peak usage in the late 1990’s, High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sweetener made from corn, became a godsend to corporations such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Nabisco, Capri, Ocean Spray, Starbucks, Heinz, Yoplait, Ben & Jerry’s, Dreyer’s, and hundreds more. No longer did they have to rely heavily on costly sugar (Sucrose) imports from Mexico and the rest of South America, now they could get tap the never ending stream of US corn as a sugar source. HFCS comes in two primary compositions—HFCS-42 and HFCS-55. This means it is composed of either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being glucose. Similar to sucrose in monosaccharide composition, HFCS monosaccharide units are not bonded together, which results in a liquid sugar instead of crystalline. This characteristic is particularly significant because it allows the transportation of larger quantities, more precise control during alcoholic fermentation, and most importantly, allows the adjustment of the glucose to fructose proportion in HFCS.
For the sake of providing context, here are a few statistics on HFCS consumption.  According to Duke Health, 52 percent of adults consume between one and six sugary beverages per week, which are a primary source of high-fructose corn syrup in the average diet. The same source also estimates that about one-third of adults admit to having at least one sugary drink each day. According to Consumer Reports Organization, there was a 1,000 percent increase in the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup between 1970(introduction of HFCS) and 1990(peak usage of HFCS). In 2009, the average American consumed about 35.7 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup, while reports the Illinois Farm Bureau. Simply said, the ubiquitous composition of HFCS in typical diet of the average American is staggering!
Transitioning to the CNS’s role in energy metabolism, the schematic below shows arcuate nucleus (ARC), a region of the hypothalamus that contains neurons sensitive to insulin and leptin, hormones that regulate energy homeostasis.

Neurons in the ARC that contain neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related protein (AGRP), and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) increase appetite; while neurons that contain pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, beta-endorphin, acetylcholine, and cocaine-and-amphetamine-regulating transcript  (CART) decrease appetite. When circulating in the blood, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin modulate both the anorexigenic and orexigenic neurons, in addition to the higher order neurons too. One can imagine this hormonal control of energy homeostasis to be like see-saw action between food intake and food expenditure, effected by NPY/AGRP and POMC neurons. One interesting point to make is that the blood brain barrier in the ARC is relatively less developed, so more permeable, hence it allows agonist and antagonistic species into the ARC. This results in signal initiation and propagation when those substances bind to receptors on the many neurons. The ease of permeability also presents an opportunity for intranasal administration of therapeutic agents.
So what really is the big deal with HFCS? After all, regular sugar contains both glucose and fructose… you might be wondering. Well, both HFCS and sucrose are empty calories, they have hardly any nutritional value and our bodies get all the sugar it needs from a regular nutritional meal anyway. The real issue with HFCS lies in its metabolism to prepare for entrance into the Citric Acid Cycle. Below is a diagram of glycolysis. Major regulatory points of glucose homeostasis are steps 1, 3, and 10. Fructose enters glycolysis as shown in the diagram below. It bypasses the regulation at step 3, and is metabolized as fatty acids would be. This results in high blood sugar levels, disrupts the balance in the control of NPY/AGRP and POMC neurons, leading to weight gain, as the extra sugar becomes stored as fat. Subsisting on a diet high in HFCS results in increased hunger due to an insufficient supply of nutrients present in such foods. This then leads to over nutrition, which leads to weight gain and hyperinsulinemia.  Oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress then results in hypothalamic neurons, resulting in protein misfolding and inflammation through the NFkB pathway, the latter of which leads to apoptosis of neurons in the hypothalamus concerned with energy metabolism. Insulin resistance (type II diabetes) then results. Thanks HFCS – Yours truly!

Caps Off to My Concordia Capstone

Participating in the neurochemistry capstone course has been an excellent culmination of the life skills I’ve learned as a student at Concordia. While I still have one semester until I’m officially done, finishing my capstone experience really brings a sense of completion to my college education. Namely, the neurochemistry class has validated my love for learning, opened my eyes to new connections between disciplines, and taught me how to influence the real world with my education.
One aspect that was unique about neurochemistry was how individually driven the learning was. While this certainly created challenges, it was actually such a freeing and positive experience. At the beginning of the semester, I struggled to manage the effort and time I was spending on the class. Without any clearly stated assignment to complete, I found myself often working too long and getting trapped in rabbit holes as I kept looking into new topics. By the end of reading one paper, I had often inquired into multiple others and was two or three steps removed from my first research topic. I’m thankful that I can become lost in the research, but it’s vitally important I learn to extract the most important information and leave time for other important tasks. Learning these skills will be necessary in the high volume and fast paced learning of medical school and in managing time for family as an older adult.
My time in neurochemistry has helped me develop the skills to be an efficient individualized learner. Because so much of our learning and progress in the class was outside of class, taking initiative on my own was necessary. Throughout the class, I improved at pinpointing the information that would benefit the rest of the class most, and did so in an amount of time that left room for my other work. In the end, the capstone experience taught me to manage my love of learning. I have always had a love of learning, but I needed to learn how to use this motivation and passion most effectively.
I also enjoyed my capstone experience because of the people I shared it with. We had a comfortable mix of chemistry, biology, psychology, and neuroscience majors, and this made our discussions in class incredibly diverse and exciting. After the first week, I realized that I was tending to fixate on chemistry aspects of the scientific journals we were reading and was glossing over the psychological techniques and learning models. This was hindering my ability to fully understand the topics at hand because I was missing key points of the story. The psychology students were a great resource in researching these topics further and teaching the class about them.
All of this opened my eyes to effective collaboration in tackling difficult tasks. In past classes, I might have overworked myself in an attempt to understand the psychology topics on my own. I inevitably would have become frustrated because I lacked the background knowledge necessary to understand the topics, and my understanding would have suffered because of it. What I learned in neurochemistry was to let experts be experts. The psychology majors knew how to explain behavioral paradigms, and I knew a thing or two about intracellular signaling cascades. When we worked together instead of “glossing” over one another’s topics, it led to a great sense of learning and teamwork that improved the experience and my retention. Having a willingness to collaborate with other experts will be something I carry with me forever. I think it will help me to treat patients more effectively and be a more responsible citizen.
Finally, the greatest part of my capstone experience was the community action project I completed with my group. Throughout my entire educational career, I’ve always dreaded group projects and the big group project in neurochemistry was no exception. I fully expected it to be like other group projects where my group doesn’t want to meet until a few days prior. Additionally, I usually have ended up doing the majority of the work to research, edit, and organize the group. As a result, I’ve always come out of group projects with a feeling that I would have been better off doing it on my own. Many times, I even feel like I would have started it sooner, done better research, and created a better final project. My community action project was the opposite experience and it made me understand how much more you can achieve with a great group.
With the talents of each and every person and effective communication, my group spurred real change on our campus. We planned and facilitated a staff and faculty workshop for handling student anxiety. Reflecting on the entire experience, I can’t help but be amazed by all the people we contacted and how many times we met as a group. From early September until mid-November, the seven of us found time to meet as a group every Sunday evening.
At our first meetings, we discussed our visions for the project. Then, we went to work contacting people and organizations to collaborate with. Amazingly, nearly every week each of us had someone we were contacting and corresponding with. Whether it was contacting the counseling center to present at our workshop, or meeting with the graphic designer about our sticker design, each and every week the project took another step forward.
An especially exciting and pivotal milestone for us was receiving funding from our student government association. This really made the entire experience real for me because this was real money we were getting to use. With this money, we paid for the catered food, the conference room with set up, and the stickers and brochures printed from a professional print shop. In the end, we had a great turnout of 40 to 50 professors (due to our tireless advertisement efforts) and provided a much needed service for our college. Now that it’s done, I’m exhausted, yet completely satisfied and proud of what we achieved. The entire experience has put into perspective the incredible dedication and work it takes to plan a great event. All the work is worth it, however, when you hear the positive feedback and see the changes and awareness you’ve raised.
Ultimately, I loved the class because it was a self-driven collaboration between all of the students and our professor. We made the class what it was through our hard-work and collaboration. This experience has absolutely helped me to mature into a more self-driven and efficient learner. These traits have ultimately put me on the right path to tackling life’s problems on my own.

Investing in Autism: Funding for Services or Research?

Studying both psychology and neuroscience in my undergraduate years I believe I have received an education that has highlighted the importance of all kinds of treatment, including using both therapy and medication to treat a variety of diseases. Most days I find myself contemplating whether to pursue a degree in research or therapy, as I find myself passionate about both. However, I have realized that very few people have the same appreciation and respect for treatments such as therapy as they do for treatments such as medication. Investigating autism specifically, it is clear that the emphasis is on researching causes and possible cures, instead of providing direct support services. For example, in the last decade more than $1 billion have been spent to identify possible causes of autism, while autism services are continuing to experience budget cuts.
The question I have then, is whether there should be an increase in funding for these direct support services instead of research?
I currently work at a nonprofit organization that aims to provide services to individuals in the area struggling with mental disorders. After spending time working with individuals with autism specifically, I have gained valuable insight into the way that investments in direct support services benefit children and adults with autism. Evidence-based therapies such as Applied Behavior Analysis and behavior modification based on the use of positive reinforcement are helping countless children and adults everyday. Overcoming social and behavioral obstacles, these therapies help individuals with autism live fulfilling lives. Seeing this, it is hard for me to believe that autism funding is best used researching possible causes and cure instead of helping individuals with autism find their place in the world.
Today, research continues to outshine support services. Federal government grants and other money available focuses on environmental contributions, risk factors, and treatment/potential cures for autism. Though I believe that researching these things are important, I also know and have witnessed the benefits of direct support services, and I believe that it is absolutely necessary for these services to receive an increase in funding.

Defining Obesity as a Disease: The Pros and Cons

As of 2013, obesity has been officially recognized as a disease by some of the nation’s leading medical groups, such as the American Medical Association (AMA), American Heart Association, and the World Health Organization. With a rich body of literature to support the recognition of obesity as a disease, there still is a lot of controversy for this change. As a student majoring in psychology and neuroscience, I was automatically interested in this topic and decided to explore this topic further in hopes of understanding the science behind the disease portion, but also the psycho-social impacts it could have on the nation.
First, it is important to realize that the literature on this topic is incredibly convincing. Most of the research demonstrates that obesity is a complex disease mediated through the interplay of multiple genetic, biological, and metabolic determinants. After close analysis of the research, it is hard to argue that obesity does not have a medical basis. However, some people refuse to see obesity as a brain disease and instead believe that it is based on choice. Therefore, obesity is heavily stigmatize because of the perception that it is caused by modifiable behavioral factors such as diet and physical inactivity.
The Pros:
Proponents for recognizing obesity as a disease believe that it will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue. It could induce physicians to pay more attention to the condition and ultimately have more empathy. Similarly, defining obesity as a disease will hopefully spur more insurers to pay for treatments. Other supporters argue that it fits the definition of a disease, with similar medical patterns such as hormone imbalances, neurotransmitter deficiencies, and nutritional exhausted. Without considering obesity as a disease, important underlying medical issues may not be addressed by the physician.
The Cons:
There are many arguments against defining obesity as a disease. Firstly, the measure used to define obesity is the body mass index (BMI) scale which many believe to be too simplistic and flawed. Today, a BMI of 27 is considered obese. Some of the most fit people have a BMI of 27 because muscle weighs more than fat, and the scale does not take that into consideration. Another one of the main arguments against recognizing obesity as a disease is the fear that it will make people passive participants of their health. Instead of encouraging people to eat healthier and exercise more, some people believe that this will make people feel helpless. The focus will turn to creating medications to fight obesity instead of focusing on making smart, healthy lifestyle choices.
Though this is not a simple topic, I like to believe that like most controversial issues, the answer lies in both sides of the issue. The hard scientist in me believes that the research is obvious and that obesity has to be recognized as a disease. My psychological perspective though, leads me to believe that considering obesity as a disease could lead to social consequences. So where should the line be drawn? What is the answer?
Again, as with many of the most controversial topics in the world today, I find that the more I know the more I question.

My Capstone Experience

Concordia College has five goals for liberal learning in which most academic courses are based on. In each one of the courses I have taken over my years at Concordia these goals were introduced and addressed each in their unique way. However, it was not until this semester when I took my Capstone Course that I truly made the connection between what we were learning and doing in class and these goals.
Below are Concordia’s five goals for liberal learning with a brief description of how my Capstone Course addressed these goals.

  • Instill a love for learning

My love for learning peaked in this course, as it was an absolutely essential part of the course. With very few assignments and no real exams testing our memorization of the information, there was not necessarily an incentive to learn. This course challenged me then, to make myself learn. However, it was much easier than I expected. Each week I found myself preparing for class days before, reading extra information on each topic for the week. After class discussions I often found myself continuing research on the topic, hoping to find answers to all the questions running through my head. With little pressure to learn and memorize information, I found myself loving to learn even more. I realized that learning should not be something that I force myself to do so I can get good grades and a better job in the future. Instead, learning is something that I believe to be instilled in all of us, and once reached, is something easily loved.

  • Develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities

This course was definitely a challenge for me as I was coming into the course with little chemistry background. However, within only a semester I was able to grasp basic chemistry topics and apply them to more difficult, in-depth topics. I not only able to understood the topics, but I was able to master certain topics and teach them to other students in my class. I finally was able to view other student’s knowledge as a tool and resource to help me, instead of something to be intimidated by or jealous of. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and if we know how transfer/communicate them, then one person’s strengths can become a resources for another person’s weakness.

  • Develop an understanding of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections

In a class of almost all pre-med students I felt as though this goal really applied to me. As a one of the only psychology majors in the class, I felt as though I was often the one to bring the interdisciplinary perspective. Other times though, I felt challenged to realize that my perspective sometimes lacked understanding of other disciplines and cultures. Through group discussions in this class, I was able to learn how to have my own opinion based on my discipline, but also how to apply my beliefs to other perspectives. I was forced to open my eyes to complicated issues that cannot be solved or explained using just one perspective.

  • Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical and spiritual self-understanding

There were many times during this course where I was frustrated. I wanted simple answers to some of the world’s most challenging topics, but in the end, I found no answer. However, as we discussed topics such as end-of-life care, I realized that in my search for answers, I understood more about my beliefs. Each discussion challenged my ideas of what I thought was ethical or spiritually right, and I learned so much from my peers as they both agreed and disagreed with my opinions.

  • Encourage responsible participation in the world

One of the major assignments in this class was a community action project in which Neurochemistry and Social Work students teamed together on a popular issues affecting the world we live in today. For this project, we were asked to develop, plan, and carry-out a community action projected addressing this issue and problems that surround it. My team focused on Mental Health on our college campus, as we tried to bring awareness and decrease the stigmatization of mental health to the study body. This one just one of the ways that this course, specifically our professors, encouraged us to become actively engaged in our world.
Overall, this course exceeded my expectations, as I truly believe that ending my undergraduate college career without this class would have been an incredible loss. After almost four years of rigorous academics, I find that just now I am understanding the real mission of Concordia College.

Neurochemistry. My Capstone.

Concordia has five goals for liberal learning:

  1. Instill a love for learning
  2. Develop foundational skills and transferable intellectual capacities
  3. Develop an understanding of disciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections
  4. Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical, and spiritual self-understanding
  5. Encourage responsible participation in the world

Walking in on the first day to Dr. Mach’s neurochemistry course, I was quite nervous. First, she let us know that there will be a lot of independent work and what we learn outside of class needs to be spoken on in class. We all were a team, benefitting one another even literally like when we did partner teaching on Wednesdays. Second, this is my capstone class, and with that, it should essentially encompass everything I have learned here at my four years are Concordia. With that, I want to briefly mention how each of the five goals Concordia has for liberal learning were met in my capstone experience.
Instill a love for learning
I have no doubt in my mind Concordia has instilled a love for learning inside of me. This goes back even to my freshman year, but this neurochemistry course really was the cap to all of it. This class wasn’t the normal class you can take at Concordia, it wasn’t even that similar necessarily even compared to other science courses. This class was treated as a job, attendance was a must, you get evaluated twice, and you don’t really have “true” homework. That is where the love for learning comes into play because I throughout my four years and especially in this course, I only keep wanting to gain knowledge especially in my area of study, but even beyond that in other areas of study. I simply love to learn.
Develop foundational kills and transferable intellectual capacities
Dr. Mach was our professor, and she always had great knowledge to spread and help break the ice when needed because as she stated in the beginning of the course, a lot of work and knowledge earned would come from yourself. I gained some skills over time, especially how to present information to one other person in a short but sweet manor but at a 400-level college course. I would also argue I gained a higher level of critical thinking because some of the articles we read in class were very difficult and on Mondays we had to brainstorm and basically pick apart primary research articles—truly trying to understand what the science was, how it was done, and what this means for neuroscience now and the future.
Develop an understanding of disciplinary and intercultural perspectives and their connections
This class wasn’t just neuroscience students, like me. For the most part, all of us had a science type of major or area of focus, but we even gain perspectives and connections through the social majors. We did a combined project with them which was done outside of class to impact our local community in some way. Our group created an Alzheimer’s prevention and information panel discussion in Fargo back in November. Throughout the semester, I gained a better understanding of how people think and why they think the way they do. As scientists, we always like to be right and usually opinions are held strong, but when it comes to neuroscience, there isn’t one care for one neurological disease. And I would argue our whole class sees how much we and the future generations need to work together and ignore who is right first or wrong and start to work and cure some of the most dreaded diseases known to man.
Cultivate an examined cultural, ethical, physical, and spiritual self-understanding
Every week was a different research article with a different disease or disorder, and with that came multiple opinions. For example, when we read on the endocannabinoid system and marijuana, some of us had completely different views. Whether it’s your cultural, ethical, physical or your spiritual views, we all weren’t the same and that caused some havoc but also it generated great discussion. It opened up critical thinking at the molecular level of these diseases, but also a broader view and maybe how society or science should be handling some certain situations with law or health.
Encourage responsible participation in the world
I can’t wait to take my knowledge and energy in the classroom and apply it to the real world. Don’t get me wrong, I like college and especially Concordia, but I am ready to move on to bigger and better things and that’s all thanks to Concordia. Beyond my neuroscience, I am excited to work on being more sustainable as well as spread the knowledge of climate change because I believe that is one the most important issues to date and many people still today don’t understand its real or they deny it and that would be very irresponsible for us now to ignore it and let the future generations deal with it because scientists today are saying we are already too late in combating this real crisis.

An Interception of Two Diseases: Binge Eating Disorder and Obesity

Many people do not consider obesity a disease—in fact, I am a skeptic myself. It seems so clear to me how obesity can be resolved if people simply modified their eating behaviors. For example, when are you eating, how much are you eating, what kinds of foods are you eating, these are all questions that could allow eating behaviors to change to be more healthy based on what nutritionists and dietician have discovered.
However, when I compare obesity to addiction, I understand how it can be seen as a disease. Addiction might start with inappropriate drug-using behaviors. However, it escalates when it becomes abused, and that substance abuse or chemical dependency illustrates malfunctioning neural transmission. Food can also be a substance that becomes abused when processes in the brain no longer work like they should.
A related disease to obesity is Binge Eating Disorder (BED). BED is a medical condition characterized by ingestion of large amounts of food due to loss of control while eating.  According to Ginger Nicol, MD, weight gain and obesity can result in 40% of individuals with BED, because it does not involve compensatory behaviors.
Why do only 40% of all who meet criteria for BED weight gain and obesity? Perhaps it is due to an individuals neurochemistry and how it is different from another’s. For example, an non-obese individual with BED may experience more weight gain than another non-obese individual with BED, because that person has a genetic predisposition for weight gain to due their parents’ obesity.
It is also worth noting the metabolic mechanisms BED:

  • Exacerbate hunger
  • Prevent satiety
  • Drive food preferences

So how do these mechanisms become malfunctioning in people with obesity and BED?
A 2013 journal article by Vogt and Bruning in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism explain how abnormal insulin and leptin signaling lead to obesity. Insulin and leptin are both released in the PNS and CNS to regulate food intake. Both substances work to maintain energy homeostasis by signaling fullness to the hypothalamus when food intake can cease.
Leptin and insulin levels actually rise with increased for intake, and this rising levels contribute to resistance. Leptin and insulin resistance leads to lack of satiety excessive food intake.
The endocannabinoid system also plays a role in obesity and BED. According to a 2015 study by Fattore, the endocannabinoid system is critical in changing energy balance by modulating food intake. In fact, it is commonly known that administration of cannabis increases appetite. Various human and animal studies have shown that CB1R agonists increase total food intake, particularly consumption of palatable foods. As a result, the a current treatment drug for obesity and BED is rimonabant, a endocannabinoid receptor blocker.
In addition, there is a connection between the endocannabinoid system and the endocrine system. Leptin inhibits endocannabinoid production by the hypothalamus. In the case of leptin resistance, endocannabinoids would be overproduced and food intake will increase.
All in all, there is much still to be discovered on the topic of obesity, and studying BED in conjunction may provide additional insights to the investigation.

The Danger of “Diet”

Obesity in America is a growing problem. Literally. A survey in 2015 showed obesity rates exceeded 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states.
In 1985, no state had an adult obesity rate higher than 15 percent; in 1991, no state was over 20 percent; in 2000, no state was over 25 percent; and, in 2006, only Mississippi and West Virginia were above 31 percent.
Obesity isn’t just something that happens later in life. The NIH states that roughly 33.2% of youth ages 6-19 are considered overweight, and 18.2% are considered obese.
And now that you’ve heard these statistics, I bet that you are extremely motivated to do your part to help, right?
Not to offend, but I’m guessing I’m wrong. The fact is, whether we are part of these statistics or not, we do know of them and do nothing.
It’s a common, if simplified, mentality that obesity is a result of poor personal health choices. What if that weren’t the case?
Recent studies have proven that obesity could be a result of insulin resistance in the brain. Furthermore, maternal over nutrition, leading to fetal hyperinsulinemia can predispose kids to metabolic syndrome and obesity.
So is it really their fault?
Regardless, one thing is clear: being extremely obese or overweight is not healthy. I don’t care how someone looks; the importance of losing weight should be emphasized as a necessity to prevent the slew of health problems that obesity can cause.
The problem is we keep telling individuals they need to go on a “diet.”
I hate that word. It’s stupid, really, because your diet is what you eat, so whatever you put in your mouth– IS your diet.
Besides, the first thing to people’s minds when they hear the word diet is crash diets: things like Atkins, paleo, Nutrisystem.
I’m not saying that these “diets” don’t work, or have their benefits, but for most people, they are expensive, unappealing, and not practical long term.
The problem isn’t that obese individuals don’t want to lose weight. They don’t want to go on a diet.

If you tell me you want to put me on a diet, I think:

  • DO eat less food
  • DON’T eat after 5 pm
  • DO eat salad and vegetables (and all other healthy disgusting things)
  • DON’T eat sweets. Or bread. Carbs=BAD!
  • I hate my life.

I hear the term diet and it becomes a list of dos, don’ts, and unhappiness.
Fad diets can work short term.They might make you look good in your wedding dress for a day, but unless you adopt a healthy lifestyle after that, it’s not going to last.
And there it is: lifestyle.
This is where the real changes are made. It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. It’s incredible the effect that this different approach can have.
You tell me that I need to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and I’ll generally agree with you. I don’t get defensive, because it makes sense.
With the pressing issue of the rise of obesity in the U.S. paralleled by the comorbidities associated with it, this is an important emphasis.

If you are obese, overweight, really anyone who wants to avoid future health problems, you don’t need to diet: you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Not because people tell you to, not because of the way you look, but because it’s good for you.
A healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be intimidating because it’s functional. It’s not “I’m starting my diet on Monday.”  It is a string of conscious decisions to be healthy.
What does that look like? If someone’s eating out or eating fast food 5 times a week, it’s likely not so appealing to tell them to quit cold turkey. Start small. This week, go out 4 times. Next week, 3 times.
If something is going to become a lifestyle, you want to enjoy it, right? If you hate salad, don’t eat salad.  Eat steak, eat bread, eat potatoes. Eat them while making healthy choices. Lean steak, wheat bread, sweet potatoes. Maybe not for every meal, but a treat on a Friday night.
Recognition that this isn’t an all or nothing situation is important. You can have ice cream, eat candy, drink wine. Maybe once a week, maybe three times a week. Either way, if you’re used to doing these things every night or even multiple times a day, you’re still making healthier choices than you were and not giving up something that you loe or brings you joy.
And this is where I leave you. We live in a day and age of instant gratification; hence why fad diets are so popular. Of course, if you starve yourself, you’re going to slim down more quickly. But when it comes to health, the easy way or the quickest way usually isn’t your best bet. I reiterate, obesity or being overweight is not a problem of vanity, but a problem of health. It’s important to maintain a proper weight, not so we can all look good in a bikini, but so we can avoid things like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance. We all should try and pursue these lifestyle changes so we can have a happier, healthier life and enjoy it too.
 

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