May 21, 2004
NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS
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Today's Topic: Is Food Addictive?

In installment 1,285 of this ongoing controversy, the most
sophisticated analysis has been interpreted that it is.  A recent
study finds that people simply exposed to food have increases in
metabolism of brain circuits also seen in drug addicts.

Twelve people were shown their favorite food.  At the same time, the
food was heated so it would give off its odor and a cotton swab with
small amounts of the food was put on the tongue so the subject would
taste it.  Sophisticated brain scans showed a significant, 24 percent
increase in activity in the whole brain and particularly in an area
the researchers said was involved with drive.  They speculate at the
end of the article that similar changes happen in drug craving by
addicts.  The study was published in the April 2004 issue of
NeuroImage.  < http://tinyurl.com/3dlg8 >

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The subjects were fasted
for 18 hours - so they were quite hungry - before the experiment.  In
fact, a graph in the paper shows the hungrier they were, the greater
the increase in brain activity when exposed to the food.  Despite lots
of media attention, this does not mean that seeing an advertisement on
television for something you may or may not like is going to make you
crave it.  So wipe that drool off your keyboard and go do some
exercise.