Eating in moderation can be difficult, but it’s important to control your portion size. Your daily portion will vary and will be based on your size and how active you are. It’s critical to manage your intake since your body will need to work extra to support the digestive system.
If you take in more calories than what you burn, you will be promoting body fat, but there are other reasons why you shouldn’t overeat. One of the main reasons you shouldn’t overeat is decline in your brain function. Numerous studies have shown that overeating leads to mental decline (example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013785/).
Additionally, per Stuart Murray, who is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Keck school of medicine of USC, states that overeating may result in impulse control issues. Stuart Murray stated that “In children with binge eating disorder, we see abnormality in brain development in brain regions specifically linked to reward and impulsivity, or the ability to inhibit reward.” Impulse control issues cause all sorts of negative effects in your life due to inability to control anger and focus. This usually leads to gambling, shopping, and other addictions.
Another reason why you shouldn’t overeat is hormonal imbalance. Ghrelin and leptin are hormones that stimulates appetite and suppresses appetite, and these two hormones will be unbalanced if you overeat. Also, foods high in fat, salt, and sugar will trigger dopamine and may trigger overeating behavior. This not only hurts your digestive system, leading to bloating and gas, but it can make you sluggish, nauseated, and fatigued since your body had to work overtime. Long term dangers can include diabetes and heart disease. You will also increase risk of other problems and induce sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
This doesn’t mean you can’t indulge yourself every now and then. It simply means, you should plan your meals and ensure you eat what fits your lifestyle.