| ent study has shown that men control hunger better | | | | This worked for the men in the study, but |
| than women do, which goes a long way toward | | | | wasn’t as successful for the women. |
| explaining why women are more likely to eat for | | | | Though some of the female subjects were better |
| emotional reasons, and why men always seem to | | | | than some of the men at suppressing food desire, |
| drop weight more easily when they diet. | | | | overall the female brains showed just as much hunger |
| “Women have a much stronger reaction to | | | | activity after they tried to tone down their desire. |
| food, such that whether they try to inhibit their desire | | | | “Even though the women said they were less |
| or not, they have stronger signal [in the part of the | | | | hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, |
| brain that controls hunger perception and desire to | | | | their brains were still firing away in the regions that |
| eat],” study leader Gene-Jack Wang, MD | | | | control the drive to eat,” Wang explains. |
| explains. | | | | “In contrast, men’s brain activity |
| Dr. Wang and his team at Brookhaven National | | | | decreased along with their self-reports of hunger |
| Laboratory in NY have been using the latest | | | | during the scan when they were asked to keep their |
| techniques in brain imaging to find the parts of the brain | | | | hunger in check.” |
| involved in eating behavior. | | | | An expert in the brain circuits responsible for feeding |
| Previously this group of researchers had shown that | | | | behavior and regulating body weight agrees that we |
| obese people are less able than normal weight | | | | may be uncovering a structural basis for why we eat |
| subjects to sense when they are full. | | | | the way we do. |
| Dr. Wang wondered if there might be a difference in | | | | Rexford S. Ahima, M.D., PhD., associate professor of |
| the brains of men and women, and how they react to | | | | medicine at the University of Pennsylvania notes that, |
| food. | | | | “The interesting thing about the Wang study is |
| It was this question that prompted he and his team to | | | | that when they present food to people and ask them |
| look at what happens in our brains when we can see, | | | | to consciously inhibit the urge to eat, men are better |
| smell, taste but not eat foods we love. A test of | | | | able to do it than women.” |
| willpower to be sure. | | | | What’s likely to blame is those pesky female |
| The study involved testing 13 women and 10 men, all | | | | hormones, already linked to promoting weight gain and |
| of normal body weight, using three different PET | | | | overeating. |
| scans - one a control, the other two for testing - given | | | | We all know women who crave sweets (or salt) |
| in random order. | | | | during particular times of their menstrual cycles. |
| The participants fasted for 18 hours before each scan | | | | It might have been a plan of evolution that women |
| - in one scanning session they were tempted by their | | | | learned to seek food more avidly than men- especially |
| favorite foods - everything from chocolate cake and | | | | as females were counted on to have and care for |
| cinnamon buns to barbecue ribs and pizza. | | | | children. |
| During the scanning they could see and smell the food, | | | | And while men are better able to inhibit the desire for |
| and were even given tastes applied to the tongue with | | | | food, does that mean they are also better able to |
| a cotton swab. New, hot food was brought in every | | | | resist emotional eating? |
| four minutes during the 30 minute scan. The final | | | | More work will need to be done to test this idea |
| barrier to eating was a quiz on their hunger, desire for | | | | directly. The study appears in the January 15th online |
| food and alertness. | | | | edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of |
| A second scanning session had subjects fasting 18 | | | | Sciences. |
| hours once again, and then being presented with | | | | In the meantime, to control hunger better, try to |
| favorite foods, just as before. | | | | surround yourself with healthy, nutritious options - foods |
| Only this time subjects were asked to practice ignoring | | | | that are filling yet low in calories. Raw veggies, whole |
| the food… shifting their thoughts away from it | | | | grain crackers and fresh fruits are all delicious |
| and onto other things. | | | | examples. Even if you only replace one junk food |
| During this scan the subjects were told, “to | | | | snack with something healthier, you’re still doing |
| inhibit their desire for food and suppress their feelings | | | | better for yourself and your body. |
| of hunger.” | | | | |