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Huberman Lab
Healthy Eating & Eating Disorders - Anorexia, Bulimia, Binging
Sep 6, 2021
02:13:24
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Quick takeaways
- Understanding the role of the brain, stomach, fat, and hormones in regulating hunger and satiety is crucial for healthy eating.
- Protein assimilation is more efficient earlier in the day, highlighting the importance of meal timing.
- Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating involve disruptions in decision-making processes and dysregulation of homeostatic and reward systems.
- Anorexia and binge eating disorders display habitual behaviors that can be targeted through cognitive interventions.
- Combining cognitive behavior therapy with a family-based model is an effective approach for treating anorexia.
Deep dives
Understanding the Huberman Lab Podcast
In this episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, the host, Dr. Andrew Huberman, discusses the topic of healthy and disordered eating. He explores various eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, and emphasizes the importance of establishing a healthy relationship with food. Dr. Huberman delves into the impact of metabolism, eating frequency, and food choices on appetite, satiety, psychological well-being, body weight, and body composition. He also delves into the excitement surrounding intermittent fasting and its potential benefits, while debunking myths about eating windows and emphasizing individual differences in nutritional needs.
The Science Behind Intermittent Fasting
Dr. Huberman discusses the science behind intermittent fasting, which involves restricting one's feeding behavior to certain windows within the 24-hour circadian cycle or even engaging in extended fasts. He mentions the research conducted by scientists, particularly Sachin Panda, on the benefits of restricted feeding windows on liver enzymes, insulin sensitivity, and various health parameters in animals and humans. However, he also highlights the overarching truth about metabolism and weight regulation: regardless of the eating pattern or intermittent fasting, overall caloric balance is the most critical factor in weight gain, maintenance, or loss. The preference for intermittent fasting often stems from easier adherence to fasting periods rather than restricting portion sizes.
The Impact of Meal Timing on Muscle Growth
Dr. Huberman introduces a study on the timing of protein intake and its effects on muscle hypertrophy in mice and humans. The study explored whether consuming protein-rich meals earlier in the day promotes increased muscle growth and synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins. It was observed that ingestion of amino acids, especially leucine, earlier in the day led to more significant muscle hypertrophy and maintenance. However, the study did not suggest completely avoiding protein intake later in the day, emphasizing the importance of individual preferences and choices in meal timing and composition.
Understanding Eating Disorders and Decision-Making
Dr. Huberman provides insights into eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, focusing on the disruption of decision-making processes and the dysregulation of homeostatic and reward systems. He explains how these disorders can override normal hunger and satiety signals, leading to unhealthy eating behaviors. Dr. Huberman introduces the concept of habits and discusses how building new healthy habits can be an effective treatment for anorexia, highlighting the importance of understanding the biological mechanisms and individual differences underlying these disorders.
Anorexia and its Biological Mechanisms
Anorexia is a condition that often begins in adolescence and is associated with changes in circuitry within the hypothalamus. It is not solely driven by psychological factors but also involves disruptions in hormonal regulation. Classic anorexia requires hormonal disturbances, but there are now new classifications of the disorder that can be diagnosed even in individuals who still menstruate or produce sperm. People with anorexia often exhibit a lack of appetite and body image concerns, which can lead to severe negative consequences like hormonal disruptions, low blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels.
Understanding Binge Eating Disorders
Binge eating disorder involves uncontrollable overeating followed by purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or laxative use. Individuals with this disorder often lack inhibitory control and struggle with impulsivity. Drugs that increase serotonin and dopamine levels can sometimes help treat binge eating disorder by increasing top-down control and reducing impulsive behaviors. Deep brain stimulation targeting the nucleus accumbens, a key area involved in reward pathways, has also shown promise in treating binge eating disorder.
Treating Eating Disorders through Habit Intervention
Both anorexia and binge eating disorders involve habitual behaviors that contribute to their development and maintenance. In anorexia, the habits are centered around undereating and avoidance of specific foods, while in binge eating disorders, the habits revolve around impulsively overeating. Cognitive interventions that target habits and reflexive behaviors have shown potential in treating these disorders. By identifying and interrupting the cues and patterns associated with these habits, individuals can rewire their neural circuitry and develop healthier eating behaviors.
Weak Central Coherence and Set Shifting
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by weak central coherence, where individuals become hyperfocused on a particular feature and miss the big picture. They struggle with set shifting, finding it difficult to shift their attention away from identifying high-fat foods and obsessing over low-calorie options. This behavior is driven by the reward system in their brain, as they are constantly monitoring how much others observe their eating habits.
Treatment Approaches and Distorted Self-Image
One effective treatment approach for anorexia is the combination of cognitive behavior therapy and a family-based model. This therapy raises awareness about the disorder, supports the individual, and teaches them about neural plasticity and the ability to change their brain. Distorted self-image is a common issue in anorexia, where individuals have a genuine perceptual defect and do not accurately see themselves. Therapies aimed at breaking habits and shifting perceptions can help improve the self-image in anorexia.
31.
The Brain Areas That Drive Habit Formation and Execution Are the Best Point of Intervention
2min
In this episode, I discuss what drives hunger and satiety, and the role our brain, stomach, fat and hormones play in regulating hunger and turning off the desire to eat more. I also address how protein is assimilated better early in the day than it is later in the day, and why those using intermittent fasting might want to shift their feeding window to earlier in the day.
Then I delve into the topic of disorders of eating: Anorexia Nervosa, where people starve themselves and Bulimia Nervosa where people binge and purge their food. I discuss some common myths about Anorexia such as the role of media images increasing the rates of anorexia and the myth of the "perfectionist" anorexic. I also review the symptoms, and the brain and chemical systems disrupted in this condition. I explain how anorexics become hyperaware of the fat content of foods and develop reflexive habits of fat-hyperawareness. Then I discuss the most effective treatments ranging from family-based models to those that target the habitual nature of low-fat/calorie food choices. I also discuss new more experimental clinical trials on MDMA, Psilocybin and Ibogaine for Anorexia, and both their promise and risks
I review the latest work on binge eating disorder and brain stimulation, drug treatments and thyroid disruption in Bulimia and why the treatments for Bulimia are so similar to those for ADHD. Finally, I discuss "cheat days," body dysmorphia and the growing list of novel forms of eating disorders start to finish. As always, science and science-based tools are discussed.
Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab
Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman
Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman
Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction: Fasting, & Defining Healthy Eating
00:08:55 Morning Protein Is Important
00:22:21 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up
00:26:29 Defining & Diagnosing Eating Disorders
00:29:00 Anorexia Nervosa (Overview & Myths)
00:33:44 Bulimia (Overview & Myths)
00:37:35 Binge Eating Disorders, EDNOS, OSFEDS, Pica
00:39:44 What is Hunger? What is Satiety?
00:42:00 Neuronal & Hormonal “Accelerators & Brakes” on Eating
00:46:17 Fat, Leptin & Fertility & Metabolic Dysfunctions in Obesity
00:50:30 Why We Overeat
00:55:30 Homeostasis & Reward Systems/Decisions
00:59:58 Anorexia
01:04:28 The Cholesterol Paradox
01:06:13 Psychological vs. Biological/Genetic Factors in Anorexia
01:09:44 Chemical Imbalances, Serotonergic Treatments
01:12:56 Altered Habits & Rewards in Anorexia: Hyperacuity for Fat Content
01:18:28 Brain Areas for Reward Based Decision Making vs. Habits
01:24:06 Habit-Reward Circuits Are Flipped in Anorexics: Reward for Deprivation
01:28:30 How Do You Break a Habit?
01:33:23 Family Based Models, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
01:35:39 MDMA, Psilocybin, Clinical Trials, Ibogaine
01:40:35 Anabolic vs. Catabolic Exercise, Spontaneous Movements, NEAT
01:43:23 Distorted Self Image in Anorexia
01:47:54 Bulimia & Binge-Eating, “Cheat Days”, Thyroid Hormone
01:53:05 Inhibitory Control, Impulsivity, Adderall, Wellbutrin
01:58:00 Direct Brain Stimulation: Nucleus Accumbens
02:04:28 Anorexia/Reward vs. Bulimia/Binging
02:05:45 Healthy Eating Revisited
02:10:55 Synthesis, Body Dysmorphias
02:14:15 Support: Podcast, & Research Studies
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