What is overeating?

There are more and more obese people in today's society, and the most direct reasons for people getting fat are nothing more than two: the first is that people's daily diet is disordered, and the second reason is that people overeat. The first one is easier to understand, which is the disorder of eating habits, but many people don’t know what overeating is, and don’t know how to judge whether they are like this. So, what is overeating?

First, what is overeating? After people eat, the food is first crushed and chewed in the mouth, then swallowed into the esophagus and pushed into the stomach. In the stomach, the food and stomach contents are thoroughly mixed and stored, and then transported in batches and quantitatively through the pylorus to the small intestine. Protein is initially digested in the stomach, while highly fat-soluble substances, such as alcohol, are absorbed in small amounts in the stomach. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, electrolytes and other substances are completely digested and absorbed in the small intestine. There are annular wrinkles on the inner wall of the small intestine. With the help of various digestive juices, nutrients are fully and completely absorbed in the small intestine. The final food residue stays in the large intestine for 1-2 days, absorbing about 1500-2000ml of remaining water every day, and is excreted from the body in the form of feces through intestinal peristalsis. Overeating will completely disrupt the normal rhythm of gastrointestinal tract digestion and absorption of food. In the digestion and absorption of food, some accessory organs play an equally important role. The pancreas secretes insulin to regulate blood sugar and secretes a variety of digestive enzymes. Pancreatic amylase digests carbohydrates, pancreatic lipase digests fats, and trypsin and chymotrypsin digest proteins. The liver is like a huge biochemical processing plant. Liver cells are involved in the metabolism and synthesis of various substances, including the metabolism of alcohol. They also secrete about 600-1200 ml of bile every day, which is secreted into the gallbladder through the bile duct for storage and discharged into the duodenum when needed to help digest fat. Overeating will require a large amount of digestive fluid in a short period of time, which will significantly increase the burden on the accessory digestive organs.

Second, there is a complete nervous system network in the gastrointestinal wall, in which the myenteric plexus controls the main gastrointestinal motility, and the submucosal plexus controls the main mucosal sensory function. After eating, food stimulates the submucosal sensory nerve cells to release neurotransmitters, which "notify" the myenteric motor nerve cells to regulate gastrointestinal motility and ensure the body's regular appetite and defecation every day. Before the Chinese New Year, people become busier at work. In addition to work, they have many social engagements throughout the day. Many people spend the whole day drinking and dining, overeating, and leading extremely irregular lives. Their emotional excitement and mental tension can affect the central nervous system, leading to gastrointestinal motility-sensory system disorders and causing illness.

What is overeating? Overeating can cause dizziness, mental confusion, gastrointestinal discomfort, chest tightness, shortness of breath, diarrhea or constipation. In severe cases, it can cause acute gastroenteritis or even gastric bleeding. Eating too much meat and drinking a lot of alcohol can overload the liver and gallbladder, accelerate the metabolic rate of liver cells, increase bile secretion, cause liver damage, induce cholecystitis, and worsen the condition of patients with hepatitis. It can also cause the pancreas to secrete in large quantities, increase the pressure in the duodenum, and induce acute pancreatitis. Severe cases can be fatal. Studies have found that the risk of heart disease increases fourfold within 2 hours after overeating. When diarrhea occurs, the elderly lose a large amount of body fluids, which reduces the blood circulation in the whole body, causing the blood to become concentrated and viscous and flow slowly, which can cause cerebral artery occlusion, interruption of cerebral blood flow, and formation of cerebral infarction. If the above adverse consequences occur, there is no need to panic. If the symptoms are severe, you should seek medical attention in time and receive correct treatment.