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I've always thought we should have a digestive system bypass in the esophagus. Give us the joy of tasting, chewing, and swallowing food, but then have it go int

I've always thought we should have a digestive system bypass in the esophagus. Give us the joy of tasting, chewing, and swallowing food, but then have it go into an external bag before it hits the stomach.

arghwhat 2y ago
Unfortunately, we also sense the mechanical filling of the stomach, and the movement through the bowels. Unless you stop the hunger altogether I don't think you'll feel satisfied without the whole process.
- mateo1 2y ago
  It's not just that. I'm pretty sure your stomach and gut also provide information regarding caloric intake, on top of other sensors detecting the raise in blood sugars/lipids/aminoacids. And even if it didn't, you'll get hungry when your body/brain detects you've switched to using reserve power. If eating doesn't satiate the hunger by providing energy, the response would likely be to make you hungrier and hungrier.
  - arghwhat 2y ago
    Well, "reserve power" is from starvation, intense exercise, or weird diets, not hunger. From brain perspective, "reserve power" would be when it ends up relying on ketone bodies, which start to be produced in higher numbers when you have been in high glucagon, low insulin condition for a longer period of time. Long enough that the liver burned through its glycogen stores and the liver cells redirect oxaloacetate to gluconeogenesis (producing glucose from stuff in the blood) to the point where the cells become unable to finish its own metabolism of free fatty acids. It then turns the intermediate products it can't use itself into ketone bodies. That part can be regulated with nutrition, glucagon and insulin, but having plenty of glucose won't replace sensations from the digestive system itself.
  - mcmoor 2y ago
    Yeah I've heard that the reason artificial sweetener makes people fatter instead is that the body feels robbed when they don't get the supposed caloric intake they should get when eating something sweet. So they crave more. I actually do feel it, I still feel hungry if I eat lots of something that has little caloric value. So eating lots of vegetable and water doesn't fool my body into satisfaction.
  - sethammons 2y ago
    Your gut bacteria is amazing - it will signal even what kids of food it wants. By passing those hungry bacteria will eventually kill of those specific cravings I guess, but meanwhile, I'd wager a lack of satiation if bypassing the gut.
- bluefirebrand 2y ago
  > Unless you stop the hunger altogether My understanding is this is how drugs like Ozempic work. They make you feel fuller quicker and prevent "food noise" where you think about food and eating even when your stomach isn't empty
  - tibbydudeza 2y ago
    The lower the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines so you feel fuller for longer - the bad side effect is sometimes it causes stomach paralysis. Your stomach stops working (the rythmic muscle contractions that turns food into mush).
- tibbydudeza 2y ago
  The stomach has stretch sensors which is used to determine the feeling of fullness via the vagus nerve - somebody will hack it one day and no need for Ozempic.
knodi123 2y ago
Know what's weird to me? I don't get any pleasure out of swallowing food. Tasting, sure. Chewing, sometimes. But swallowing? Just a necessary mechanical coda, as emotionally laden as the period at the end of a sentence But if someone suggests that we enjoy an ice cream sundae, but spit each bite into a bucket? Suddenly they're a reviled heretic!
- arghwhat 2y ago
  I think the exact positive sensation differs between people. I certainly find joy in swallowing the food - which makes sense as it's a pretty important step. Tasting and chewing feels like only the precursor to eating, and taking only those steps reduce the sensation to that of chewing a bubblegum. ... But if someone has a non-bulemic reason to simulate eating, by all means go ahead. Just don't make it a big trend as we waste enough food as is.
  - knodi123 2y ago
    I was partly tongue in cheek. I certainly don't spit my meals into a bucket, despite being a little overweight. But I stand by what I said about not enjoying the act of swallowing. The closest I can get is the joy of not feeling hunger anymore- but that's just the absence of discomfort. I don't understand it, but I can't dispute it.
    - coldtea 2y ago
      >I was partly tongue in cheek. I certainly don't spit my meals into a bucket, despite being a little overweight. But I stand by what I said about not enjoying the act of swallowing. The closest I can get is the joy of not feeling hunger anymore- but that's just the absence of discomfort. You're conflating the joy of food with its mere taste. A lot of the joy (which you might just attribute to the taste part) comes as the food is digested. Not just the joy of not feeling hunger anymore, but the various chemicals making their way to the bloodstream and releasing endorphins and such. Sugar, chocolate and co for example. Even easier examples would be coffee and alcohol. Their taste is hardly the major satisfaction factor.
sandspar 2y ago
Aristotle talks about gluttony in his book about ethics. He mentions a Greek gourmand who fervently wished to have the neck of a crane, since he felt that swallowing is the most pleasurable part of eating.

arghwhat 2y ago

Unfortunately, we also sense the mechanical filling of the stomach, and the movement through the bowels. Unless you stop the hunger altogether I don't think you'll feel satisfied without the whole process.

mateo1 2y ago
It's not just that. I'm pretty sure your stomach and gut also provide information regarding caloric intake, on top of other sensors detecting the raise in blood sugars/lipids/aminoacids. And even if it didn't, you'll get hungry when your body/brain detects you've switched to using reserve power. If eating doesn't satiate the hunger by providing energy, the response would likely be to make you hungrier and hungrier.
- arghwhat 2y ago
  Well, "reserve power" is from starvation, intense exercise, or weird diets, not hunger. From brain perspective, "reserve power" would be when it ends up relying on ketone bodies, which start to be produced in higher numbers when you have been in high glucagon, low insulin condition for a longer period of time. Long enough that the liver burned through its glycogen stores and the liver cells redirect oxaloacetate to gluconeogenesis (producing glucose from stuff in the blood) to the point where the cells become unable to finish its own metabolism of free fatty acids. It then turns the intermediate products it can't use itself into ketone bodies. That part can be regulated with nutrition, glucagon and insulin, but having plenty of glucose won't replace sensations from the digestive system itself.
- mcmoor 2y ago
  Yeah I've heard that the reason artificial sweetener makes people fatter instead is that the body feels robbed when they don't get the supposed caloric intake they should get when eating something sweet. So they crave more. I actually do feel it, I still feel hungry if I eat lots of something that has little caloric value. So eating lots of vegetable and water doesn't fool my body into satisfaction.
- sethammons 2y ago
  Your gut bacteria is amazing - it will signal even what kids of food it wants. By passing those hungry bacteria will eventually kill of those specific cravings I guess, but meanwhile, I'd wager a lack of satiation if bypassing the gut.
bluefirebrand 2y ago
> Unless you stop the hunger altogether My understanding is this is how drugs like Ozempic work. They make you feel fuller quicker and prevent "food noise" where you think about food and eating even when your stomach isn't empty
- tibbydudeza 2y ago
  The lower the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines so you feel fuller for longer - the bad side effect is sometimes it causes stomach paralysis. Your stomach stops working (the rythmic muscle contractions that turns food into mush).
tibbydudeza 2y ago
The stomach has stretch sensors which is used to determine the feeling of fullness via the vagus nerve - somebody will hack it one day and no need for Ozempic.

knodi123 2y ago

Know what's weird to me? I don't get any pleasure out of swallowing food. Tasting, sure. Chewing, sometimes. But swallowing? Just a necessary mechanical coda, as emotionally laden as the period at the end of a sentence But if someone suggests that we enjoy an ice cream sundae, but spit each bite into a bucket? Suddenly they're a reviled heretic!

arghwhat 2y ago
I think the exact positive sensation differs between people. I certainly find joy in swallowing the food - which makes sense as it's a pretty important step. Tasting and chewing feels like only the precursor to eating, and taking only those steps reduce the sensation to that of chewing a bubblegum. ... But if someone has a non-bulemic reason to simulate eating, by all means go ahead. Just don't make it a big trend as we waste enough food as is.
- knodi123 2y ago
  I was partly tongue in cheek. I certainly don't spit my meals into a bucket, despite being a little overweight. But I stand by what I said about not enjoying the act of swallowing. The closest I can get is the joy of not feeling hunger anymore- but that's just the absence of discomfort. I don't understand it, but I can't dispute it.
  - coldtea 2y ago
    >I was partly tongue in cheek. I certainly don't spit my meals into a bucket, despite being a little overweight. But I stand by what I said about not enjoying the act of swallowing. The closest I can get is the joy of not feeling hunger anymore- but that's just the absence of discomfort. You're conflating the joy of food with its mere taste. A lot of the joy (which you might just attribute to the taste part) comes as the food is digested. Not just the joy of not feeling hunger anymore, but the various chemicals making their way to the bloodstream and releasing endorphins and such. Sugar, chocolate and co for example. Even easier examples would be coffee and alcohol. Their taste is hardly the major satisfaction factor.

sandspar 2y ago

Aristotle talks about gluttony in his book about ethics. He mentions a Greek gourmand who fervently wished to have the neck of a crane, since he felt that swallowing is the most pleasurable part of eating.