Thursday, 15 October 2009
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Craving For 'Unhealthy' Snacks? Just Look At The Pics Of Those Treats!
What would you do if you’re craving for a sweet muffin or a hot fudge sundae? Eat it and blame yourself for the rest of your life, or just try not to even look at pictures of any sort of treats whatsoever hoping your craving will eventually go away at some point? I’m assuming a lot of you may go for the second choice because that’s what I would’ve done, too. But now, I would probably just look at pictures of treats I’m craving for. Why? Not because I’d like to face the challenge or anything, but as it turns out, it can actually help eliminate my craving. I know, hard to believe, right?
According to a study done by psychologist Floor Kroese and his colleagues at Utrecht University in Netherlands, showing weight conscious women a picture of fatty and/or sugary foods (whom I think would be the majority) may actually “resolve [them] to eat healthily.”
In order to test the theory, they showed 54 female students a picture of either a cake or a flower and then offered them either a chocolate or oatmeal cookie to choose from while asking them about their plans to eat more healthily. What were the results? Those who were shown an image of a cake were more likely to choose the oatmeal cookie (the healthier option) giving “a higher priority to their healthy eating intentions.” Psychologist Kroese thinks “seeing a food temptation reminded people of their goal to watch their weight, and helped them act accordingly.” Well, I guess this explains why I’m not a big fan of sugary treats, but still love watching shows on baking cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and all those other sugary treats on the Food Network.
What do you think about this new technique? Do you think it’ll work for you? What other techniques do you know of that helped curb your cravings?
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About the Author
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- From: kimjh125
- Name: Joo
- About Me: I'm a runner and a health fanatic. I currently live in NYC.
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Comments (29)
I am definately going to try this
lmao.
WoW.
um.. not going to work for me. Looking at unhealthy foods -- especially advertisements for baked goods at panera really makes me crave them.
Um, no. Looking and food porn makes me WANT it.
Actually, when I'm doing extreme dieting, I get an obsession with looking at food. It doesn't make me want to eat it; it just calms my cravings.
Uhuuh. Sounds like an obsession to me. How about learning to feel ok with eating treats in moderation?
ummmm this study sounds lame. this is one of those correlation doesn't equal causation things.
I'd eat the oatmeal cookie anyway. They're the best =D
I actually do this all the time. I don't know why, but looking at it makes me get over wanting it. It's nice to know I'm not crazy :P I also sometimes just look at them because I think sweets are cute.
thinspiration, anyone?
I eat a banana.
I had 3 yesterday ;D
Or drink loads of fruit juice. It tastes nicer than chocolate anywayz :D
Interesting, but 54 students is a very small study, and I openly doubt its accuracy. It is also a very temporary decision in this case, and the real problem with unhealthy eating is not occasional but overindulgence.
i used this technique abt all food when i was anorexic and i still use it.
I like dark chocolate. It's not too fatty (and actually healthy, if it's the right kind), but it satisfies the sweet craving.
Doesn't work... But in saying that, it does keep me away from bad foods if I try hard enough not to go and get any, but thats because I'll spend HOURS looking at food porn, fighting it.
the more i stare at the picture of the food, the more i'm hungry, the more i'm determined to get it! so i can't look at them for too long.
To infer something about the entire population from such a small sample size is a bit of a jump I think. There would need to be further studies to actually confirm this.
Personally, looking at pictures of treats makes me want them more especially if I haven't had them in a while. I don't even adhere to a diet so it isn't even a self-control issue, more of "shit, that looks good" issue.
woah. definitely hard to believe! haha. i'll try it next time...
i usually chew gum when i get cravings. i find it really helps. [especially mint gum]
very interesting!
I look at food all the time, it's FOOD PORN! It makes me happy and completely satisfies me because I know how I'd feel after eating it, I actually feel as though I have eaten it all afterward! :o
When I'm hungry, and can't afford the food/or don't want to eat, I always think about what the food is actually made of; chemicals and grease, usually.
This helps me eat far healthier than I have in the past.
Looking at unhealthy snacks usually makes me crave them. So I'd say try to look at things that aren't available near you, lol. Or that are really complicated to make. My only real "defense" against indulgence is not having access to those unhealthy foods.
This is not everyone's case but definitely is my case. Sometimes I'd be craving a certain food, I'd go and find a picture of it and look at it for a bit. Well, after that I don't crave it anymore.
It also justifies why some people with anorexia nervosa have so many pictures of food on their computer. It sounds contradicting. And when I do it, I don't even find the logic behind it but it just works!
I'll try it but I'm pretty sure it's just going to lead to a huge bill at the Cheesecake factory .
I've always done this - didn't know it was actually supposed to work, i just thought it was a weird thing i did.
http://www.thisiswhyyourefat.com/