auntjudyg

What I read that makes sense to me is a little different from what you have explained. It is not just a matter of insulin levels, but the interplay of glucose and insulin. Gaining even a little understanding of that is what helped me understand my overeating and FINALLY get it a little under control (most of the time, at least ).

So the story goes (very simple version, of course) . . . some of what we eat turns into glucose once it is digested. Glucose provides energy, so the body uses some of it immediately. But when there is more glucose than the body can use right away, the body shoots out some insulin to help store the glucose for future use (some as fat - hence the insulin/fat storage connection).

Problems start with some of our modern food. Much of the refined, processed stuff turns into glucose very quickly, much quicker than most things we **** sapiens would have eaten in the "wild". Compound this with overeating, and tremendous amounts of glucose are being introduced into many of our systems; much more than the body evolved to handle. For all this excess glucose, the poor body attempts to keep pace by producing insulin to "store" the glucose. Some people's systems seem to do okay with this and handle all the excess; some don't.

Some bodies have so much trouble keeping the glucose and insulin balanced, that the minute they detect glucose coming they overcompensate, pumping out insulin without regard to how much glucose is actually there. What can happen then is that there is too much insulin in the system. When there is too much insulin in the system, the body then wants glucose. How does the body get more glucose quickest? Eating! So the body then puts out a call for food, not because it is hungry, but because it needs the glucose to get rid of the insulin. Then the whole cycle starts again.

Indeed, a common phenomenon among some overeaters is the compulsion to eat even when they are not hungry, even when they have just eaten, and being practically powerless to stop. Traditionally, this has been explained (condemned) as lack of will power. Of course, it is self-serving of me to favor an out-of-balance hormone model, but I think it does a better job of explaining the situation than "lack of will power". It also holds out better hope for solutions.

Personally, I would recommend people learn about insulin. Some may find answers in the course of their learning. And with so much type 2 diabetes around, most of us will probably benefit from knowing something about insulin. At the very least, they will learn something about their bodies.