Imagine food reduced cravings (BBC)

December 10, 2010 08: 24 GMT updated is good... think about their subject, do not eat them. They can help themselves to lose weight in thinking about food, according to a new study.

A study on small scale science has shown that people who had imagined they ate chocolate wanted it less than those who had not thought it.

Researchers have said that imagine a preferred food can be a substitute to eat really reducing the desire it.

A psychologist said that this may not work for strong cravings.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania divide 51 people into three groups.

An imaginary group eating chocolates 30 M & m, the second group imaginary eat three M & MS, while the third group imagine not eat everything.

When a bowl of candy were subsequently presented to the group, those who had believed most chocolate consumption ate that.

Do you really want that it? Researchers said the study showed that when people thought several times to eat food, it rendered want less of a process called "addiction".

This means that more people have something, the less gratifying it becomes and less they want, even if the feeling is not aware.

During testing, each group of volunteers had mentally repeat 33 actions. The measures were to imagine placing them a coin in a machine washing or eat a M & M - because both involve similar motor actions.

Some participants had to imagine eating more M & Ms. inserting parts, while others made the opposite or just imagined insertion of parts.

The study suggests that imagine eating chocolate experience became a substitute for the real experience and repetition has proved to be the result.

Cut cravings

Co-author of the study, Mr. Joachim Vosgerau said that "the difference between imagine and may be smaller than assumed previously."

Similar results have been found of the experiment was repeated in cubes of cheese instead of chocolate.

Professor Andrew Hill, Professor of medical psychology at Leeds medical school describes the study as "interesting" and a new take on how to prevent people like food.

He explained that psychological studies more watch "process ironic effect", where people who diet are very difficult to unhealthy foods in their minds.

This, he said, was the opposite psychological effect.

"It is important to examine this process among those who attempt to limit their consumption of these foods". They tend to be people who can not stop to think chocolate, for example. I am doubtful whether this method would so well on them. »