To therapeutically differentiate the two types of eating, and to treat eating disorders and obesity-related diseases by reducing hedonic eating
Eating to live
Homeostatic Eating
Controls energy balance by increasing the desire to eat following the depletion of energy
![Hedonic Eating](https://www.augustthera.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Homeostatic-Hedonic2-600x598.png)
Living to eat
Hedonic Eating
Can override homeostatic eating, increasing the desire to eat highly palatable foods during periods of energy abundance
On average, sedentary Americans eat 80% more calories per day than the USDA recommends.
Highly palatable foods are readily available in the US, which is a driver for increasing obesity rates. Reducing caloric intake by as little as 10% could have a meaningful impact on weight loss, and lead to reductions in obesity-related morbidities.
Binge Eating in the US
0%
of adults experience binge eating
0%
of individuals with BED are obese
0%
with disorder receive diagnosis and treatment
Binge eating disorder was added as a diagnosable eating disorder to DSM-5 in 2013
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent binge eating episodes during which a person feels a loss of control over his or her eating
Obesity in the US
0%
percent of US adults are obese
0%
of US adults are morbidly obese
0%
percent of children in the US are obese
Obesity-related healthcare costs are $190B per year, or nearly 21% of all healthcare spending
Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 and morbid obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) >40 kg/m2
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A recent Gallup Poll shows that even though more Americans than ever are heavier than 200 pounds (28% today vs 24% ten years ago), fewer are willing to lose weight (54% today vs 58% ten years ago).
![](https://www.augustthera.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2017-2018-NHanes-600x435.png)
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Why are 2 out of 3 Americans overweight, obese, or morbidly obese?
Since the early 1960s the average daily caloric intake of Americans has increased by ~500 calories per day
The amount of physical activity during the workday has decreased: in 1960 1 in 2 people had a job that was physically active. Today that number is only 1 in 5
Only 24% of Americans are meeting guidelines for aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity
These factors alone do not explain the increase in obesity in the US, however evidence has emerged that a change in the American diet towards more ultra-processed/highly palatable foods could be a significant driver: foods with high glycemic index and glycemic load may be displacing low-energy nutrient dense unprocessed and minimally processed foods. Ultra-processed foods are also less satiating since human satiety mechanisms are more sensitive to volume than energy content.
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![](https://www.augustthera.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Obesity-map-3-600x358.jpg)
Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults by State and Territory (CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System)