Control Food Cravings with Brain Power

Is it possible to control a craving for cupcakes, pizza or pie by the way you think about food?

Researchers believe we can. In fact, they say they may have found an effective strategy for people who want to stop acting on food cravings.

In a recent study, researchers used functional MRI scans to watch the brains of people as they viewed pictures of enticing foods such as pizza, French fries and ice cream. The researchers discovered that if the participants thought about the long-term negative impact of eating those foods, it could reduce their appetite.

“We found that simply thinking in a different way affects how the brain responds to tempting food cues in individuals with obesity,” said Dr. Kathryn Demos, assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Miriam Hospital at Brown University. “Through the MRI scans we identified that thinking about the long-term negative impact of eating unhealthy foods increased activity in a region of the brain involved in inhibitory control and self-regulation. Our results show the promising possibility that focusing on the long-term consequences of consuming unhealthy foods could help diminish cravings and, as a result, potentially enhance weight-loss efforts.”

During the study, participants were asked to use four different strategies for combating food cravings:

• distraction – thinking about something else other than enticing food.
• allow – accepting one’s thoughts and recognizing they are just thoughts that need not be acting upon.
• later – focusing on negative long-term consequences of eating the food.
• now – focusing on the immediate reward of the food.

Strategy to Reduce Food Cravings

Using the MRI scans, researchers found that the “later” strategy reduced the urge to eat the most. It also increased brain activity the most in areas that are associated with inhibition of overeating.

Source: The Obesity Society news release

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