Energy balance and eating behaviour
MORTOGLOU A.

Body weight gain is associated with increased food intake in relation to energy needs. The question is whether this energy surplus is attributed to an increase in energy intake and/or a reduction in energy expenditure.

Notwithstanding the fact that our eating behaviour is mainly associated with the environment, it can have a secondary effect on the biological substrate and energy balance. It is associated with the quality of food, dietary preferences and dislikes as well as the hedonic impact for food. In the obese person, food intake increases under the influence of emotional stimuli. This in turn increases stress and depression phenomena. Soon, this relationship works reflexly. As a result, each time a person feels emotionally imbalanced, he or she resorts to the mitigator action of a high-carbohydrate meal.

Admittedly, people today eat more. But is this enough to justify the continuous and inordinate weight gain in human populations?

The majority of epidemiological studies have shown that over the last 20 years the average increase of food consumption is small, but the sales of products that reduce our spontaneous everyday physical activity has increased significantly (cars, home appliances, elevators, remote controls etc).

Less everyday activity has been largely implicated in this contemporary obesity pandemic called "Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)".

Daily activity consists in all physical activities other than volitional sporting-like exercise. It covers 2/3 of our lives, which means that even small changes in it can have a considerable cumulative impact on energy balance and body weight.

Day-to-day activity is distinguished into: 1. Fidgeting 2. Occupation habits and 3. Leisure time activities.

As health promoters, altering the eating behaviour of populations is only one step. If we are to stop the progress of the dramatically growing obesity rates, we also need to change the work and school environment for a "more active life".

Key words: Οbesity, food intake, non-exercise activity, thermogenesis (HEAT).