How to take control in an obesogenic environment

Posted on :  December 8, 2020
How to take control in an obesogenic environment

by Ashleigh Feltham
Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist

The western world is an obesogenic environment with many factors working against your ability to maintain a healthy weight. While you may not have control over many of these factors there are lifestyle choices which can improve your ability to abstai

m the many temptations in your everyday life. Having a diet which supports your hunger hormones, preventing the feeling of constant hunger and longer periods of satiety is a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight.

One of these lifestyle factors which support the healthy balance of your hunger hormones is to include more polyunsaturated fat in your diet, such as omega-3 fat found in Safcol Seafood. Research has shown by doing so your overall feelings of hunger are reduced and satiety levels are felt for a longer period of time.

One study looking at participants aged between 18-35 years of age, found the ratio of the types of fat in a meal and consequent feelings of hunger and satiety. The study found that those participants who regularly consumed more polyunsaturated fat in their diet like Safcol Seafood and less saturated fat had lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. In addition to this, the satiety hormone peptide YY was significantly increased.

The participants were given two types of meals with an equal number of calories but different percentages of types of fat. One meal had 7% polyunsaturated fat, 15% monounsaturated fat and 13% saturated fat. The other was a meal with 21% polyunsaturated fat, 9% monounsaturated fat, and 5% saturated fat. The meal which included more polyunsaturated fat significantly reduced feelings of hunger due to a drop of ghrelin and promoted a longer feeling of satiety after the meal.

Take home message

While you cannot remove the obesogenic environment which you live in you do have control over the type of food which you choose to eat. Selecting an overall balanced diet which includes polyunsaturated fat like Safcol Seafood can help you maintain a healthy weight through keeping your hunger hormones on your side.

Not only is Safcol the Seafood Experts tuna lunchbox friendly, but it also tastes delicious, and boasts some amazing health benefits! Tuna contains Omega-3 fats that are an unsaturated form of fat called polyunsaturated. These types of fats cannot be made by the body, so we need to include them as part of our diet to stay healthy. For good health, you need omega-3 fats in our diet, particularly the type which comes from fish and seafood because it contains two acids known as docosahexaenoic acid or DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. These two acids are linked to better health for your body particularly for your brain and heart.

Reference:

Stevenson JL, Paton CM, Cooper JA. Hunger and satiety responses to high-fat meals after high polyunsaturated fat diet: a randomized trial. Nutrition. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2017.03.008