Health
Are you an intermittent faster? If so, binge eating could be in your future, new study suggests
Intermittent fasting (IF) has change into a preferred weight-loss technique over the previous decade.
But a brand new research from Texas A&M College revealed within the journal Urge for food means that it may increase the danger of binge-eating and different meals issues.
Writer Jordan Schueler, M.S., a PhD candidate within the Division of Psychological and Mind Sciences at Texas A&M, began growing the brand new research in 2019.
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“There wasn’t a lot details about the psychological results of intermittent fasting — solely its affect on medical outcomes like weight and ldl cholesterol,” she advised Fox Information Digital in an electronic mail.
“I used to be interested by seeing whether or not this particular type of time-restricted weight-reduction plan, the place individuals could ignore their starvation cues for prolonged intervals of time, may additionally induce binge-eating.”
A number of forms of fasting
There are a number of forms of intermittent fasting — however all of them observe the identical idea of alternating between fasting and consuming.
With a time-restricted strategy, the dieter solely eats throughout a sure window. For instance, with the 16/8 technique, the individual fasts for 16 hours after which can eat inside an eight-hour span, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Different variations contain fasting for a full 24 hours a couple of times per week — or solely consuming restricted energy on fasting days.
Those that had achieved intermittent fasting previously, the research discovered, have been extra more likely to interact in binge-eating than those that had by no means fasted.
The researchers concerned within the new research checked out a pattern of almost 300 undergraduate school college students.
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Schueler mentioned they used “a recruitment technique that optimized the variety of contributors in our pattern who have been at present participating in intermittent fasting, as these have been the individuals we have been most interested by.”
She added, “We additionally included individuals within the pattern who beforehand engaged in IF — and those that by no means had earlier than.”
Among the many contributors, 23.5% have been at present taking part in intermittent fasting, 16% had tried it previously and 61% had by no means engaged in it.
They have been requested to finish questionnaires about their intermittent fasting standing, impulsivity, intuitive consuming, disordered consuming behaviors and aware consuming.
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Those that had achieved intermittent fasting previously, the research discovered, have been extra more likely to interact in binge-eating than those that had by no means fasted.
“Something that forces the physique into an irregular consuming sample holds the potential for disordered consuming.”
This went towards the researchers’ expectations that present fasters can be extra more likely to binge.
“One rationalization is that those that are actively participating in IF should still be ‘efficiently’ participating in rigidity and self-control round their consuming behaviors,” Schueler mentioned.
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“Nonetheless, it’s common to expertise a rebound impact following extreme caloric restriction, throughout which binge-eating happens. Our discovering means that though IF doesn’t seem like a danger issue for binge-eating whereas one is actively engaged within the weight loss program, it could have lasting results on one’s relationship with meals.”
The research additionally discovered that intermittent fasters have been much less more likely to tune into their inside starvation and fullness cues — and tended to offer themselves much less permission to eat.
“In different phrases, intermittent fasters are removed from intuitive eaters,” mentioned Schueler. “Relatively than counting on their physique’s inherent knowledge, their consumption is decided by exterior guidelines.”
The research’s findings didn’t shock Lauren Harris-Pincus, a registered dietitian nutritionist who has been training for greater than 25 years within the New York/New Jersey space.
She agreed that intermittent fasting may promote unhealthy habits by suppressing inside starvation cues.
“Something that forces the physique into an irregular consuming sample holds the potential for disordered consuming,” she advised Fox Information Digital in an interview.
Some consultants don’t discover intermittent fasting to have a lot further long-term weight-loss profit over commonplace calorie restriction.
“When you’re ravenous at 11 a.m. however really feel it’s a must to wait till 12:00 till your ‘consuming window’ opens up, that’s sort of ridiculous. It’s merely not logical or efficacious to disregard your physique’s alerts for the sake of one thing that’s fairly faddish.”
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For individuals who have already got a poor physique picture, intermittent fasting may fairly simply set off disordered consuming, warned Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist. She practices as The Lupus Dietitian and serves individuals with autoimmune illnesses.
“If somebody already has a poor physique picture, has issue tuning into their physique’s starvation and fullness cues, or tends to make use of meals as a coping mechanism, intermittent fasting can additional deteriorate the power for that individual to intuitively eat,” she advised Fox Information Digital in an electronic mail.
Added Freirich, “Intermittent fasting is a set of exterior guidelines that may information individuals to pay attention much less to their physique’s cues. Disregarding the physique’s alerts could make it increasingly more tough to discern these messages sooner or later.”
Freirich does imagine intermittent fasting is usually a wholesome and sustainable life-style for some individuals — significantly in the event that they eat their first meal early within the day to gas their exercise and set their consuming window at eight hours or longer.
For instance, this might imply having breakfast at 8 a.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. — an consuming window of 10 hours, with 14 hours of fasting.
Nonetheless, she doesn’t suggest the approach for individuals who have diabetes, are vulnerable to low blood strain, are pregnant or lactating — or who’ve a historical past of disordered consuming.
Individuals who really feel unwell, weak or dizzy as a result of starvation may be susceptible to disordered consuming.
Some consultants, together with Harris-Pincus, don’t discover intermittent fasting to have a lot further long-term weight-loss profit over commonplace calorie restriction.
A earlier research from April 2022 even discovered that time-restricted consuming didn’t result in a better discount in physique weight, physique fats or metabolic danger elements amongst overweight sufferers.
Warning indicators of disordered consuming
Freirich mentioned those that are participating in intermittent fasting ought to be careful for purple flags which will point out they’re veering into disordered consuming territory.
One instance is changing into overly inflexible in regards to the timing of meals. Individuals may really feel anxious, responsible or ashamed if they can not observe the time constraints.
One other warning signal: Individuals could discover themselves withdrawing from essential social occasions as a result of these occasions happen outdoors the designated consuming window.
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Or, a give attention to consuming could also be some individuals’s dominant thought all through the day.
Individuals who really feel unwell, weak or dizzy as a result of starvation may be susceptible to disordered consuming.
“One other signal is consuming a lot throughout the consuming window that they really feel uncomfortably full or stuffed — which might point out a cycle of restriction and bingeing,” mentioned Freirich.
The research’s limitations
The Texas A&M research does have some limitations. Schueler famous that the pattern dimension was small and never very various in regard to gender id, age, race/ethnicity, schooling or socioeconomic standing.
The pattern dimension was small and never very various in regard to gender id, age, race/ethnicity, schooling or socioeconomic standing.
“Due to this fact, we have no idea if we’d see the identical outcomes amongst people from extra various or traditionally marginalized populations,” she mentioned.
“Extra analysis is required in an effort to generalize these findings.”
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Schueler additionally identified that people took the surveys at one cut-off date — versus throughout a span of years.
“This implies we can not know whether or not intermittent fasting causes binge-eating or vice versa,” she mentioned.
“What is required to find out this are extra longitudinal research that observe individuals over time to see when the binge-eating develops — and observe the various factors that contributed to it.”
Health
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Health
Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo loses flamingo, seal to bird flu
The Avian Influenza has claimed the lives of a Harbor Seal and a Chilean Flamingo at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo.
The zoo announced they received results that confirmed the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was the cause of Teal, a Chilean Flamingo, and Slater, a Harbor Seal’s death.
“This is sad news for wildlife and for the zoo team. Not only are we facing the first known cases of HPAI in animals in our care, but we’ve lost two amazing animals,” said Director of Veterinary Services Lester E. Fisher and Dr. Kathryn Gamble in a statement. “While highly pathogenic avian influenza is a naturally occurring virus in free-ranging waterfowl, more mammal species have been reported to be susceptible to HPAI since 2022.”
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The zoo was unable to confirm the source of the exposure, but the Centers for Disease Control say that HPAI is spread through saliva, nasal secretion and the feces of infected birds.
They did say that zoo visitors are not at risk of contracting the disease from the animals at Lincoln Park zoo.
“Because highly pathogenic avian influenza is spread by free-ranging birds, it is no riskier to visit Lincoln Park Zoo than to enjoy a walk outdoors,” said President & CEO and ornithologist Megan Ross. “The zoo remains a safe place to connect with the animals in our care.”
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The zoo has been monitoring HPAI, so there is a response plan in place. The plan addresses staff and animals. It includes personal protective equipment and removing cross contamination between species while monitoring individual animal behavior, according to a statement by the zoo. They have also closed the McCormick Bird House and will be closed until further notice.
The zoo also said in their statement that it’s important to keep personal pets indoors and away from wildlife.
“Sharing this news of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the area is important for our community at large,” said Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute Seth Magle. “To protect yourself, do not handle wildlife. Additionally, keep your pets safe by keeping cats indoors and dogs on a leash away from wildlife.”
Health
Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.
Maricruz Salgado was bringing her diabetes under control. Thanks to a federal program that allowed health clinics that serve poor people to buy drugs at steeply discounted prices, she was able to pay less than $75 for all five of her diabetes medications every three months.
But in July, the cost of three of those drugs soared. Ms. Salgado, who does not have health insurance, suddenly faced costs of hundreds of dollars per month. She could not afford it.
Her doctor switched her to cheaper medicines. Within days of taking one of them, she experienced dizzy spells so severe that she said could barely keep up with her hectic daily schedule as a phlebotomist and an in-home caregiver. By the time she returned to the doctor in September, her blood sugar levels had ticked up.
“We were in a good place,” said Dr. Wesley Gibbert, who treats Ms. Salgado at Erie Family Health Centers, a network of clinics in Chicago that serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. “And then all the medicines had to change.”
The price hikes at the clinic happened for a reason that is symptomatic of the tangled web of federal policies that regulate drug pricing. In 2024, drug makers lowered the sticker price of dozens of common medications, which allowed them to avoid massive penalties imposed by the American Rescue Plan, the Covid relief package passed three years earlier. But that change backfired for low-income people like Ms. Salgado.
The decision to make these medications more affordable for large swaths of patients has quietly created another problem: a severe financial hit to the clinics that are tasked by the federal government with caring for the country’s poorest people. These nonprofit clinics operate in every state and serve nearly 32.5 million people, or about 10 percent of the country’s population.
“It’s the law of unintended consequences,” said Beth Powell, the director of pharmacy at The Centers, which operates five community health clinics in the Cleveland area. Ms. Powell said that while many consumers benefited from the companies’ decision to lower prices, “for our folks, that is not the case.”
More than 1,000 community health clinics around the country rely on a decades-old federal program that requires drug companies to offer them deep discounts.
Under the 340B program, as it is called, companies typically sell their brand-name drugs to clinics at a discount, at 23 percent or more off the list price. The same discount scheme applies to state Medicaid plans. But if a company raises a drug’s list price above the rate of inflation, a penalty kicks in, forcing it to offer even deeper discounts to the clinics.
For years, that meant that every time a company raised a drug’s list price above inflation, community clinics paid less for it. Many drugs, including insulin, essentially became free.
But the American Rescue Plan made a major change that hit drug companies with even larger penalties for raising prices. In January 2024, companies that continued to raise a drug’s price would have to pay state Medicaid plans every time those drugs were used, potentially costing the industry billions of dollars.
“That was a bridge too far” for the companies, said Antonio Ciaccia, a drug-pricing researcher who advises state governments and employers.
Manufacturers lowered the price of at least 77 drugs in 2023 and 2024, according to an analysis by a nonprofit that Mr. Ciaccia leads. The list includes widely used asthma drugs like Advair and Symbicort, as well as diabetes treatments like Victoza, which Ms. Salgado used before the change.
Once the pharmaceutical companies lowered their list prices, the inflation penalties evaporated. That meant community clinics had to start paying the usual discounts of 23 percent or more off the list price — far more than the pennies they used to pay.
“Unfortunately, the complexities of the U.S. health care system can reduce access and affordability for many,” Jamie Bennett, a spokeswoman for Novo Nordisk, which makes Victoza, said in a statement. “Even when we lower our prices, too often people don’t receive the savings — this is a problem.” She said the company also has patient assistance programs to make its products more affordable.
David Bowman, a spokesman for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the 340B discounts, did not respond to questions about how community health clinics were affected by the lowered drug prices. He said that other recent policies, including directing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs, had lowered drug costs for low-income patients.
Because of a six-month lag in the way that 340B discounts work, clinics were hit by the change last July. Some clinics began calling patients before their prescriptions expired, offering to switch them to less expensive medicines even though they sometimes had more serious side effects. Others decided to cover the higher out-of-pocket costs, which required dipping into already scarce reserves.
Ms. Salgado said a nurse from Erie called over the summer to tell her about the pricing changes. Until then, she had paid about $15 for a three-month supply of Victoza, which is injected daily to keep blood sugar down. After July, the cost rose to more than $300.
After a few weeks, Ms. Salgado adjusted to the replacement, Byetta, and her dizziness subsided. But the drug must be injected twice a day instead of once. And Ms. Salgado must now use a special pharmacy 20 minutes from her house to qualify for the federal discount on the two insulin drugs she was switched to, the result of increasingly strict rules that companies are imposing on health clinics.
Ms. Salgado, who is 39, said she is determined to avoid the fate of her mother, who died of diabetes complications at 54. But keeping up with frequent pharmacy visits and medication changes is tough. “Sometimes it does get to a point where it’s like, I just don’t want to do this anymore,” she said.
The changes are also making it harder for community clinics to offer other services.
Under the 340B program, clinics buy the discounted drugs on behalf of their patients. When those patients have insurance, the clinics can then bill insurers for the regular, higher price, pocketing the difference. But now that spread — the difference between how much they pay for the drug and what insurance will cover — has dwindled. That has left clinics with less money to spend on services that are not otherwise covered by government grants or insurance, such as helping patients find housing.
At Valley View Health Center, a network of clinics that serves patients in rural Washington, the 340B money once financed a mental health program that employed eight therapists. In September, the clinic halted the program, laying off the therapists.
“It was such an abrupt change for us that it has definitely affected our ability to care for our patients the way that we needed to,” said Gaelon Spradley, the clinic’s chief executive.
Some patients who have seen costs go up have qualified for patient-assistance programs offered by drug makers. That was the case for Lorena Sarmiento, another patient at Erie Health who uses Lantus, an insulin pen. Last fall, after the 340B discount changed, she was quoted $490 at her pharmacy — the retail price for a box of insulin pens. Erie Health sent her to another pharmacy, which helped her sign up for a manufacturer’s coupon that lowered her cost to $35 per month.
Doctors and pharmacists at several health clinics said such drug-company assistance programs can be hit or miss. Sometimes they last for a limited time or require that a patient reapply regularly. Patients often have to be legal residents of the United States or have a fixed address.
“It’s a lengthy process, and it’s a lot of hoop-jumping,” said Michael Lin, the chief of pharmacy operations at Family Health Centers in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ms. Sarmiento and her husband, Luis, spend about $500 per month on her medical needs, including special food, medications and a glucose monitor. They are no longer facing the highest insulin price, but their costs are still 10 times what they were just a few months ago, when they spent about $10 on three months’ worth of insulin.
Mr. Sarmiento said he tries not to complain. “You always have to look on the good side,” he said. “But lately, that’s been hard.”
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