New review of scientific studies strengthens the findings that food cravings can be reduced.
Food craving, the intense desire to eat certain foods, can sabotage efforts to maintain healthy eating habits and body weight, no matter the time of year.
Food Cravings
Cravings often signify some need-whether nutritional or mental. Read on to find out if it's really your sweet tooth or something else.
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‘New review of scientific studies confirms that changes in diet, physical activity, prescription medications, and bariatric surgery can reduce food cravings.’
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However, an examination of 28 current peer-reviewed scientific studies largely substantiates findings that changes in diet, prescription medications, physical activity, and bariatric surgery reduce craving, said Candice Myers, Ph.D., assistant professor - research at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
"Craving influences what people eat and their body weight, but there are some components of our behavior and diet that we do have control over," Myers said. "Being mindful of these desires gives us more control of them." Myers was the lead author of "Food Cravings and Body Weight: a Conditioning Response."
![New Obesity Treatment: Brain Stimulation May Reduce Food Cravings]( "New Obesity Treatment: Brain Stimulation May Reduce Food Cravings")
Obesity can be treated by stimulating the brain to alter its intrinsic reward system which may reduce food cravings. Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS), a medical treatment uses magnetic energy to stimulate neurons in specific areas of the brain can treat obesity, depression and addictive behaviors.
For example, one proven way to reduce the longing for a certain food is to eat it less frequently. In other words, it's better to remove something from your diet than to try to eat smaller helpings of it.
"The upside of craving is that it is a conditioned response that you can unlearn," said John Apolzan, Ph.D., director of Pennington Biomedical's Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Laboratory. "It's not easy, but it can be done."
Other takeaways from their review included that:
Different demographic and socioeconomic groups may have different responses to food cravings. But little is known about these potential differences, and more investigation is needed.
"Food craving is an important piece of the weight-loss puzzle. It doesn't explain weight gain 100 percent," Myers said. "A number of other factors, including genetics and eating behavior, are also involved."
Source: Eurekalert
New Obesity Treatment: Brain Stimulation May Reduce Food Cravings
Obesity can be treated by stimulating the brain to alter its intrinsic reward system which may reduce food cravings. Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS), a medical treatment uses magnetic energy to stimulate neurons in specific areas of the brain can treat obesity, depression and addictive behaviors.
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For example, one proven way to reduce the longing for a certain food is to eat it less frequently. In other words, it's better to remove something from your diet than to try to eat smaller helpings of it.
"The upside of craving is that it is a conditioned response that you can unlearn," said John Apolzan, Ph.D., director of Pennington Biomedical's Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism Laboratory. "It's not easy, but it can be done."
Other takeaways from their review included that:
- Losing weight reduces food craving.
- Beware exercise can increase cravings.
- Cravings account for as much as 11 percent of eating behavior and weight gain, more than genetics currently explains.
- Many obesity drugs -- phentermine, lorcaserin, semaglitude and liraglitude among others -- reduce craving.
Different demographic and socioeconomic groups may have different responses to food cravings. But little is known about these potential differences, and more investigation is needed.
"Food craving is an important piece of the weight-loss puzzle. It doesn't explain weight gain 100 percent," Myers said. "A number of other factors, including genetics and eating behavior, are also involved."
Source: Eurekalert
Amazing Ways to Beat the Food Cravings
Can't get rid of that uncontrollable urge to grab something sweet, or super-salty? We've just made it easy. Read on...
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Brain Can Control Your Food Cravings: Here's HowNew study highlights that when the activity of a specific part of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is suppressed, the desire for high-calorie foods increases. | Advertisement
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