FOOD & NUTRITION
[ research shows ]
Yep, Fatty Foods Are Addictive — Literally
You probably never thought Ben & Jerry had any similarities to Scarface and Pablo Escobar, but scientists may beg to dif- fer. A study in the journal Nature Neuroscience reports that the same pleasure centers involved in cocaine dependency may be to blame for junk-food addiction. The three-month study focused on rats whose brains changed as they gorged on cheesecake, bacon and other fattening fare for 23 hours per day. The critters ended up obese and addicted to the food, so much so that even electric shocks couldn’t keep them from the sugary, high-calorie treats. Sure, this study used rats, but it does give a glimpse of the power of today’s junk food to overcome our good sense and self-control. THE TAKEAWAY If you keep it out of your mouth, you’ll keep it out of your brain. The best option is to remove the tempta- tions of eating stuff you know is bad for you. Don’t keep it in the house. And slap a Post-It note on your dashboard saying, “This car does not stop for fast food.”
LABELS, RESTAURANTS UNDERCOUNT CALORIES
Labels lie. So do restaurant menus and nutritional information postings. That’s according to a
study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which found that many foods and dishes in stores and restaurants have more calories than listed. Overall, the researchers from Tufts University found that the labels and menus undercounted calorie totals by an average of 18%, and in some cases, the foods and meals had double the amount of calories listed. The study did not speculate on what caused the discrepancy. This is disturbing news to anybody who counts
calories — especially since calorie information posting works. Another recent survey found that in Starbucks stores that list calories, customers consumed fewer calories than at stores that didn’t have the postings. THE TAKEAWAY Unfortunately, you can’t trust labels and restaurants to be accu- rate with calorie totals. So stay vigilant and don’t blow your diet on faulty info.
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Live Longer
Those of you who prefer living to dying may want to get a little more fiber in your diet. New research reveals that those who down ample servings of this super nutrient had a longer life span than those who didn’t.
THE TAKEAWAY Adding
10 g of fiber per day to your diet can cut overall mortality by 9% and death from coronary disease by 17%.
Fiber Helps You
That’s the average amount of sugar-laden drinks Americans consume every day. That’s about 300 calories — up 46 calories from just a decade ago!
SPRING/SUMMER 2010 | GET ACTIVE! 11
Photos, clockwise from top: Thinkstock (2); iStockphoto
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