Brookhaven Hospital: Mental Health Treatment for Behavioral Health Problems, Chemical Dependency, Eating Disorders, Brain Injuries, and Renewal Christian Treatment and Recovery

Friday, September 21, 2007 2:28 PM
posted by Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D.

Mindlessly Eating

The newspapers and television news shows report daily on America's growing number of people with obesity.Media and print advertising is saturated with diet programs for weight loss, medical and surgical alternatives and fitness options. Brain Wansink of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab and the author of Mindless Eating, has studied the eating habits of people. Wansink has observed that people eat more when in proximity to food such as family style dining and buffet restaurants. Similarly, being closer to available food items, eating from a package of food, away from the table, in front of TV or in a car also inspire people to consume more food. In an experiment using red colored potato chips, people would consume fewer chips when the number of colored vs. plain chips increased. People experienced the presence of the colored chips as a measurement and an inhibition to consumption.Wansink's experiments with eating behaviors clearly point to the contributing factors to obesity. Food has shifted from a necessary source of energy and nutrition to an activity which is far greater than our caloric and nutritional needs.

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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.

Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.

Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.

Sarah McGee, BA, serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

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