3 Reasons You're Overeating
Kaitlyn Katuscak
3 Unexpected Reasons Why You're Overeating
In the Article "3 Unexpected Reasons Why You're Overeating", published on rodalewellness.com on March 14, 2016, Author JJ Virgin talks about a conversation she had recently with a friend in which her friend stuck to her diet at dinner and didn't eat dessert or three-cheese lasagna but she did eat 4 plates of salad and didn't know why. Mrs. Virgin was able to explain her friend's overeating and give her advice on how to avoid it with 3 simple tips. Virgin first explained that sugar, salt and fat combined becomes addictive and can cause overeating. Virgin's friend was "addicted" to the salad because the dressing, dried cranberries and candied walnuts had a perfect combination of sweet, salty and fat that can quickly turn healthy food unhealthy. Virgin also explained that artificial sweeteners can "trick" your body into thinking it isn't full. Virgin's friend was drinking a lot of iced tea during her meal which may have been an additional factor in her overeating. She advises always asking the staff if foods have artificial sweeteners when ordering out. Virgin's last reason for overeating is sleep deprivation. Virgin explains that her friend was working late and sleeping less, which studies show can cause overeating. Virgin concludes that if you follow her tips on avoiding sugar, salt and fat combinations and get enough sleep, you should be able to avoid overeating.
How Reliable?
This article was published on Foxnews.com on March 30, 2016 but it was originally written for a website called Rodale Wellness. Many critics and readers agree that Fox News can be bias but they are usually bias in relation to politics (Holcomb, 2014). As far as Rodale Wellness, they sell fitness magazines, books and enhancing supplements. This causes me to believe they may be bias or have an alternative motive because whenever a company tries to sell something, they hype up their business with facts that may not be all that true. The article that I picked seemed genuine and factual. From what I have learned so far in my nursing classes, everything Virgin said is correct. However, her article is corrupt because she mentioned a book when describing the addictive factors of sugar, salt and fats which they sell on their website. She also mentions at the end of her article that her friend lost weight by following her tips and drinking a protein shake every day and surprise, surprise-- the website sells protein powder. She also mentions at the bottom of the page that if the reader wants more information that they can visit their Facebook page. We all know Facebook isn't a reliable source and she didn't include any other sources to visit. I believe the article was written to grab the attention of readers and get them to buy more of their products by "proving" they work. The article also mentions multiple "studies" that prove not enough sleep leads to overeating but she doesn't provide the name of the study, when it was conducted, who conducted it or any resources to access the study. It can not be confirmed if these studies were actually conducted and if they were conducted by legitimate scientists or doctors. JJ Virgin, however, does seem to be a professional and she knows what she's talking about. Virgin is a celebrity fitness and nutrition expert and has written four New York Times Bestsellers. She also writes for Huffington Post which is known for being a reliable website. Although Rodale Wellness seems to be an online market for fitness books and supplements, they are supported by Men's Health, Women's Health, Running Times and OrganicLife which are all reputable brands. Although the website may not be the most reliable, I would say the article can be trusted. I will agree that the article is trying to sell more products and get more customers, but they are not doing it in a misleading way. When comparing the article to my knowledge, the facts check out and the article is over-all accurate.