BACKGROUND The loss of self-control or inability to resist tempting/rewarding foods, and the development of less healthful eating habits may be explained by three key neural systems: (1) a hyper-functioning striatum system driven by external rewarding cues; (2) a hypo-functioning decision-making and impulse control system; and (3) an altered insula system involved in the translation of homeosta...

INTRODUCTION Low-calorie sweetener use for weight control has come under increasing scrutiny as obesity, especially abdominal obesity, remain entrenched despite substantial low-calorie sweetener use. We evaluated whether chronic low-calorie sweetener use is a risk factor for abdominal obesity. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS We used 8268 anthropometric measurements and 3096 food diary records with d...

background & aim:   changes in lifestyle, decrease in physical exercise along with incidence of obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases indicate a need for low calorie formulations. the sweetness of stevia, a natural sweetener, is estimated to be 300 times as much as that of sugar. extraction of stevia leaves is considered a promoter of calorie balance and a beneficial part of a h...

Serotonergic involvement has been implicated in preferential consumption of treat foods. We tested the effect of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on food consumption by overweight and lean adults with and without a history of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD). ATD and taste-matched placebo challenges were administered double-blind in counter-balanced order. Participants were classified ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate prevalence of and strategies behind low/no calorie sweetened beverage (LNCSB) consumption in successful weight loss maintainers. METHODS An online survey was administered to 434 members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR, individuals who have lost ≥13.6 kg and maintained weight loss for > 1 year). RESULTS While few p...

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), or the fear of somatic arousal, has been linked to both maladaptive eating behavior as well as exercise avoidance in both self-report and laboratory-based experiments. The current pilot study sought to extend these finding to the naturalistic setting. A sample of 32 adults completed affect and dietary monitoring and wore actigraphs across a three-day monitoring period....

BACKGROUND Calorie labeling at the point-of-purchase in chain restaurants has been shown to reduce energy intake. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of point-of-purchase calorie information at one rural middle school. METHODS With a community-based participatory research framework a mixed method approach was used to evaluate the impact of point-of-purchase calorie information. Students in ...

Nutrition labels are one strategy being used to combat the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 mandates that calorie labels be added to menu boards of chain restaurants with 20 or more locations. This systematic review includes seven studies published since the last review on the topic in 2008. Authors sear...

Utsa Patnaik’s critique (“A Critical Look at Some Propositions on Consumption and Poverty”, 6 February 2010) of the authors’ earlier paper on food and nutrition (“Food and Nutrition in India: Facts and Interpretations”, 14 February 2009) does not stand up to scrutiny. She claims that the observed decline in calorie intake at given levels of real per capita expenditure is an illusion due to faul...