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"In Corona we saw emotional eating out of anxiety that created long-term damage. These are pounds that are hard to lose" | Israel today

2021-02-28T13:34:31.226Z


The Blue Chair section, and this time the clinical dietitian Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shriki • "Do not expose children to sweets before the age of two" | Israel This Week - Political Supplement


The Blue Chair section, and this time the clinical dietitian Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shriki • "A study we conducted at Ariel University found a clear link between less good nutrition and anxiety" • On sugar and children: "Do not expose children to sweets before the age of two"

  • Photo: 

    Joshua Joseph

Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shriki



Clinical Dietitian and Epidemiologist



Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel University. Research Fellow in the Center for Urban Health Solutions Research (C-UHS, Toronto, Canada

Dr. Vered Kaufman-Shrikki, our conversation will deal, among other things, with nutrition and anxiety. But for a start, try to explain the human conflict between the craving for carbohydrates and sweets on the one hand, and health on the other? The desire to look thin and shapely.



"We live in a world full of temptations.

Advertisements that stimulate us and work on the reward system in the brain, various cooking programs, social networks are also full of designed and stimulating food images, and this, of course, alongside an abundance of products in various supermarket chains.

A person is easily distracted from these stimuli - all the more so during the corona period, and even more so when it comes to children.

It turns out that people are looking for sweet and comforting things to deal with boredom, with anxiety, and to create compensation for situations that are unsatisfactory for them.

Along with these, the ideal of beauty and various social messages draw us to the desire to look thin and shapely. "



And culture does not exactly contribute to the situation.



"Yes and no. Along with the temptations I described, we are now seeing a positive trend in the media: more openness and acceptance of diverse body structures, as well as different skin and hair colors. In the past we saw only thin, tall and blonde models on screens. We also see TV shows The body ".



"Ninja Israel", for example.



"I must point out that I do not usually watch TV, but do programs of this kind encourage people sitting on the couch to get up and move? Some, perhaps, but there are always those who watch and say - 'I will never be like this.' On TV we often see the different And the exaggeration, and it does not necessarily improve the mood. "



Then, maybe, run to the fridge and eat.

Anxiety also enters the picture here.

The new study conducted by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ariel University, found a link between the quality of our nutrition during the corona period and an increase in anxiety levels.

We do not eat well and our psyche is affected by it.



"This is a study I led with Prof. Mona Boaz, Dr. Abigail Nebro and Prof. Olga Raz.

At the point in time when we examined and examined the period of the first closure, which was characterized by great uncertainty, a clear connection was found between a less good diet and anxiety.

People ate a less healthy diet and anxiety and depression increased.

Although we also found a significant decrease in the level of weekly exercise from 100 minutes a week to 60 during the period of closure - in our sample this is not the factor that is associated with a higher level of anxiety. "



How, in fact, does the food we eat affect anxiety levels?



" In humans as well as in animals, anxiety is associated with consuming more foods high in sugar and fat.

High blood sugar is associated with activating mechanisms that cause the secretion of adrenaline and other stress hormones.

As for persistent anxiety, it is the strongest predictor of depression, which also affects dietary consumption patterns. "



In general, people who have reduced sugar and fat levels reported lower levels of anxiety and depression?



" , Beans, chickpeas and also in fish, chicken and milk - impairs his body's ability to produce, for example, serotonin, a hormone that affects mood and the ability to deal with anxiety.

Another hormone that is affected by the quality of the diet and the quality of the protein in the food is melatonin - the sleep hormone.

It is known that people who experience anxiety and depression can suffer from sleep patterns, which can increase anxiety and depression.

The food we eat also affects the bacterial intestinal Hmikrobiom, and begin to accumulate evidence that is associated with mood. " 



Personally, as a fan of sweets, I noticed that when I am anxious or depressed desire to eat sweet or high carbohydrate foods - drops significantly. Coincidence?



" It is important to note that people are very different in their response to food when anxious.

While a certain group of people will eat more when they are anxious, there is another group where there will be a decrease in food consumption. "



This too came up in your study.



"True. People reported that during a month they gained or lost weight, which is probably related to their character. In other studies around the world, it was also found that people reported gaining or losing about 2 kg.

In other words, the same change, only in opposite directions in different populations. "The 



data show that in the first closure Israelis experienced less anxiety compared to other countries. In which countries did you identify anxiety particularly high or low, and to what factors do you attribute this?



" There is no absolute answer.

There was much less mortality in Israel at the beginning of the Corona compared to Spain, Italy or the USA and therefore we may have seen less anxiety. It is also possible that Israelis are accustomed to living in constant anxiety and less sensitive to anxiety. However, we will have to examine this over time. Range ". 



The rise of the "foodies"



According to your study, about 60% of the subjects indicated that their diet before the epidemic was healthier compared to the diet during the corona period.

To what factors do you attribute this decrease in nutritional quality?



"A decline in the quality of nutrition is not only due to a natural attraction to 'comfort' food in times of difficulty, but also to an economic difficulty in purchasing healthier food. Among families, many parents have less time to prepare food, thus impairing the ability to maintain orderly and nutritious meals.



" High socio-economic groups found themselves harmed; the usual ways of obtaining food were harmed.

Elderly people were afraid to leave the house and could not see their children or get help preparing food.

This is a whole set-up related to the purchase, preparation, accessibility of food and requests to prepare healthy food. " 



And there is also the issue of sterility in food.



" I came across the fear of transmitting corona bacteria in food, and buying food packaged in bags.

Some people bought much more prepared food, which contributed to the reduction in food quality.

Instead of eating fruits, vegetables and fresh food - people consumed the exact opposite of what is worth eating during this period.

In Corona we also saw an increase in 'foodies' - those gourmet cooks at home.

People baked a lot more bread, suddenly everyone started growing sourdough for bread and missing vegetables. "



Are some of these behaviors likely to accompany us in the long run as well, in what may be cause for concern?



" Some people took the time to adopt healthier lifestyles.

In contrast, studies in the field show that there is a larger public, adults and children, who have spent more hours in front of screens, which has led to more eating, decreased metabolism and as a result obesity has developed.

People started eating emotionally as compensation for boredom, out of anxiety;

And this behavior created long-term damage.

These are pounds that will be very difficult to lose in the future. "



Especially the anxiety for the youth.



" True, I am anxious for the youth who for a long time did not have anything to dress for and get out of the house.

Studies around the world show greater alcohol consumption among teens, even adults.

It's an addiction and it could be that the next epidemic, various addictions - sugar and alcohol for example - are just around the corner. "



What are the common mistakes parents make when it comes to their children's nutrition?



" Common behavior is to silence children through screens and sweets.

Waiver of organization and order during meal and sleep hours.

In addition, among children, adolescents and adults I recognize a trend of taking too many vitamins.

In the context of the corona there is talk of vitamin D and its ability to prevent disease.

But it is a vitamin that is stored in the adipose tissue in the body, and taking it without a deficiency in it can have devastating results, for example bone mass.

There is some speculation that junk food can be eaten non-stop but when taking vitamins the picture balances.

So no - nothing can replace a good basic diet. "



Is the sweeping recommendation for most healthy people a Mediterranean diet?



" A Mediterranean diet is a highly recommended diet.

"This is not the only healthy eating pattern, of course, with the emphasis on a healthy diet on reducing industrialized and ultra-processed foods, and consuming fresh foods that include lots of vegetables and less fruit, as well as whole grains, legumes, healthy fats, fish, moderately low-fat dairy and less beef." The



labeling of products has led to a change in consumption?



"People are affected by the labeling, which is of course for the better.

In order not to get the red warning mark, manufacturers make an effort to reduce amounts of sodium, saturated fat and sugar.

Just make sure these ingredients are not replaced, for example, with a lot of artificial sweeteners or other unhealthy new ingredients.

The attraction to sweetness is human, but the threshold of sweetness to which a person is accustomed is important.

When you eat less sugar, over time the craving for sweets decreases.



"Beyond that, it's not for nothing that the new guidelines in the US recommend not at all exposing children to sweets before the age of two.

Sugar is harmful to us, we do not need it and the sense of taste gets used to it quickly.

That is why it is so important not to accustom small children to unsweetened sweet flavors. " 



"The state should intervene"



What can be said about the stigma towards people suffering from obesity?

Does it still exist as it once did, or is it declining?



"I hope there is some change, but the stigma still exists. Unfortunately, people with obesity are treated less respectably, even by doctors. That is, they treat their medical complaints less, refer them less for tests. Many times people with obesity also suffer from significant nutritional deficiencies. Their quality of nutrition is much less good, which has an impact on the development of chronic diseases. "



You said that people with heart disease or diabetes find it difficult to follow the health guidelines that are right for them given their financial situation.

How common is this problem, and what can be done about it?



"In Israel it is not clear how common the problem is, simply because there is no body that regularly measures food insecurity. The state must establish a dedicated body for the issue with professionals from all government ministries: education, economy, finance, welfare and health. 



" And diabetes are significantly higher among populations of low socioeconomic status.

Diabetes rates reach about 25% among the population in low socioeconomic status, and it is known that for every diabetic diagnosed, there is at least one other diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Therefore, ensuring a proper and adequate diet for the population in food insecurity is mandatory, and requires access to a healthy and basic food basket.



"If a child does not receive nutritious food, he can not study, for example. But during the closure, they closed the feeding factory that provided meals to 200,000 children. In addition, in Israel budgets are given on an irregular basis, for example - food stamps for NIS 700 million. "Pre-determined or with inter-ministerial consent, and no in-depth thought process has been carried out for them. As of today, there are many people who fall between the cracks." 



Should the state intervene more?



"It is essential that it intervenes in price policy and examines the possibility of imposing taxes on harmful food. Snacks, as well as carbonated and soft drinks, are no different from cigarettes, and even more harmful. In addition, personal and national food security must be put on the agenda." Will Israel have food reserves in the future? "



In terms of personal nutritional security, how far is humanity moving in the directions of personalized nutrition?



"There are buds in the field such as the identification of obesity-related genes, but still do not know well enough how to translate the findings into clinical recommendations for the public. There are commercial companies that make a fortune from it, but to say the answer has been found? We are still far away. "I sincerely hope that the large databases - which will allow a combination of medical history, genetic information and eating habits and information on the composition of food from production companies - will be able to connect and produce insights that we do not have today."



Finally, it is impossible without a weight loss tip.



"It is important to maintain regular meals as well as hours of sleep so as not to trigger stress hormones in the body. But beyond that - be aware of what you are eating. People who eat inadvertently, in front of the screen, for example, are not connected enough to satiety and hunger. "Contact them. In the age of screens, it's easier to overeat." 



For suggestions and comments: Ranp@israelhayom.co.il

Source: israelhayom

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