What causes food cravings? And what can we do about them?

What causes food cravings? And what can we do about them?

Fascinadora/Shutterstock By Gabrielle Weidemann, Western Sydney University and Justin Mahlberg, Monash University Many of us try to eat more fruits and vegetables and less ultra-processed food. But why is sticking to your goals so hard? High-fat, sugar-rich and salty foods are simply so enjoyable to eat. And it’s not just you – we’ve evolved that way. These foods activate the brain’s reward system because in the past they […]

September 10, 2024 22

Lifestyle

Helping children eat healthier foods may begin with getting parents to do the same, research suggests

Everyone agrees kids should eat healthy foods. But parents are often left out of that message. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images By Kelley Gullo Wight, Indiana University and Peggy Liu, University of Pittsburgh Most parents, educators and policymakers agree that children should eat healthy foods. However, our peer-reviewed paper suggests the strategy adults often use to achieve that can sometimes backfire. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix. We, along with […]

March 27, 2024 16