For some people, turning down a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of cake seems relatively easy, while for others it’s a huge mental battle.
Now, experts have discovered that people with higher BMIs actually need a greater change in brain activity to choose healthy foods instead of their favorite snack.
Researchers at Queen’s University in Ontario analyzed data from three MRI studies involving 123 participants who indicated what they would prefer to eat in different scenarios.
They compared the patterns of brain activity shown when participants made choices after being instructed to focus on healthy eating.
Experts have found that people with higher BMIs actually need a greater change in brain activity to choose healthy foods instead of their favorite snack. Researchers at Queen’s University of Ontario analyzed data from three MRI studies involving 123 participants who indicated what they would prefer to eat in different scenarios.
The analyzes revealed that people who were best able to regulate their dietary choices needed relatively small changes in brain states to achieve their goal, and this was very evident in people with low BMI.
However, participants with high BMI could not rely on this mechanism and required larger changes in brain activity to choose healthy foods.
In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers said: “More than 18 percent of the global adult population is projected to be obese by 2025, showing widespread difficulties in adopting healthy diets.” “.
‘We examined how brain states change when making natural and regulated dietary choices in a set eating task.
«People with a lower weight level could successfully modify their eating behaviors while maintaining similar modes of brain activity.
“Heavier people couldn’t rely on this mechanism.”
The team said their findings may help explain why some people have difficulty controlling their diet while others do not.
However, they said they cannot determine whether difficulty choosing healthy foods is what leads to weight gain, or whether weight gain leads to changes in the brain that make it difficult to choose healthy options.
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.
Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count.
Basic meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and one large baked potato with skin.
Eat some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat, low-sugar options.
Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be blue)
Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small quantities.
Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
Adults should consume less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day.
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide