Have you ever considered that the three pounds of grey matter in your skull might be the reason you’re gaining weight? After all, your brain controls your actions, your emotions, and your lustful thoughts of Apple Pie. So consider this; If your brain is making you fat, wouldn’t it be reasonable that your brain could make you skinny just as well?
Let’s break it down. So if our brain is the culprit, and the brain is made up of many components, which part of the brain is actually affecting our waistlines?
This is the million dollar question that brain scientist Dr. Daniel Amen asks in his insightful book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body. In it, he lists the six types of overeating personalities that he has witnesses in his years of working with patients and what part of the brain is contributing to the problem. Here they are…
| 1. | Compulsive Overeater | ACG: Anterior Cingulate Gyrus |
| 2. | Impulsive Overeater | PFC: Pre Frontal Cortex |
| 3. | Impulsive-Compulsive Overeater | Low PFC High ACG |
| 4. | SAD or Emotional Overeater | Deep Limbic Area Low PFC |
| 5. | Anxious Overeater | Basal Ganglia |
| 6. | Adrenaline Overload-Anorexic | Overall Increased Brain Activity |
The book goes into extensive detail about each type and offers action steps to help solve the problem. I found the book to be very insightful and it offers some unique solutions you may not find anywhere else. Dr. Amen explains how the individual parts of the brain work, and how supplements, exercise and a better diet may offer a workable solution for many people.
The book also offers a 70 question test, where you can zero in on your particular brain activities. The book is a fast read, and may help you find answers to the weight gain conundrum that many of us face. If nothing else, you’ll learn a lot about your brain, and how each section affects your daily life.
Question: Have you read any of Dr. Amen’s books?
