During weight loss treatment, reductions in the frequency of consuming certain foods resulted in decreased cravings for those PAGE foods. — John W Apolzan 13 and team

DDisDECCANCC CHRONICLEourseSUNDAY | 2 JUNE 2019 | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Food cravings ruin health because they are triggered by external cues rather than genuine demands of the body. Cultural and psychological factors also aid craving. Again, gut bacteria provoke craving to suit their interests rather than that of the body DUMP CRAVINGS THE CUES Mystery, menace CULTURAL CONDITIONING PSYCHOLOGICAL Dogs drool at the hint of food. Food cravings are sometimes Not just that, pets exhibit signs of craving caused by the ambivalence or before regular food time. If one always tension between desiring a or a malfunction eats popcorn while watching favourite TV food and wanting to control show, it’s likely cravings for popcorn will food intake. It’s assumed, a increase whenever one watches it. The study says, that women in par- One of the most researched factors as a possible trigger for food afternoon slump is another example of ticular resolve this by not hav- cravings is mood . Depressed and stressed individuals or sleep deprived this response in practice. If you crave ing the food in question – individuals can also suffer cravings and end up in binge eating. something sweet in the middle of the which increases their chance of afternoon, there’s a chance this craving is craving it as they’re more likely stronger when you’re at work, says Anna to notice cues. Also negative the diet. If a specific appetite for a par- Konova, director of the Addiction and moods can trigger more eating ticular macronutrient does exist then Decision Neuroscience Laboratory at removing that macronutrient from MICROBE and, for some, become an eat- the diet should cause a selective sub- Rutgers University in New Jersey. ing binge. sequent increase in the consumption of, and possibly in susceptible individ- MANIPULATION uals’ “craving” foods that are rich in that macronutrient. There is evidence sug- gesting that the trillions CAN CRAVING BE MEASURED? of bacteria in our guts ‘You are not going to crave DR HEMALATHA R. Scientists around the globe have tried can manipulate us to out many behavioural methods to measure craving, the most common crave, and eat, what approach appears to be self-reporting they need - which isn't ood craving is usually of participants about their craving a described as a strong motiva- pre-determined list of foods. Studies always what our body food you never tasted’ tion or intense desire or urge show that the highly craved foods are needs. microbes are to eat a specific food. Often, categorised into four types — high-fat Fcraving is also referred to as foods, sweets, starchy carbohydrate looking out for their own an urge to eat something even when foods (like noodles, potato chips) and interests, says Athena It is natural to want to eat a variety of foods there is no metabolic need. It is inter- fast-foods. esting to note that many of the foods Aktipis, assistant profes- including those that may be less healthy. The frequently craved are high in carbohy- WHAT IS IT IN INDIA? sor at Arizona State drate and fats and mostly foods which key is just to do so in moderation in terms of are processed. Food cravings have There are hardly any systematic sci- University’s department often been associated with high body entific studies. The Indian economic of psychology. And amount and frequency mass index (BMI) and associated con- and epidemiologic transition is ditions which are predominant risk reflected in the dietary habits of they’re good at doing factors for non-communicable dis- Indians, where a shift from home- this. Why do we crave high-calorie energy restriction decreases crav- eases. Therefore, there is a surge in made nutritious foods to easily acces- foods that add to weight gain? ings. I think it is important to note the interest to explore the nutritional sible and palatable processed food is But if you eat a diet with JOHN W. APOLZAN All foods can lead to weight gain if that we found it is the frequency of and health impacts of food cravings. visible. Increasing dietary diversity is lots of complex carbohy- consumed to excess. However, more consuming food items versus the Are food cravings really a malfunc- the current priority for Indians, and drates and fibre, you will energy-dense foods do tend to lead amount that was associated with tion or a menace? What’s the mystery currently high amounts of starch, fat to weight gain. Further, these items cravings (Obesity 2017). behind them? and little amounts of fibre and protein cultivate a more diverse ood cravings are linked to are filled with sugar and fat which Of course it is natural to want to are consumed across all age and gen- microbiome, Aktipis weight gain and attendant ail- are the macronutrients typically eat a variety of foods including WHAT CAUSES FOOD CRAVINGS? der groups. The consumption of Fments. The best way to fight craved. Overall, chocolate tends to those that may be less healthy. The monotonous diets has also been asso- says. This probably cravings is to de-condition ourselves, be the most craved food item. key is just to do so in moderation in The true picture of food craving is ciated with craving carbohydrate and means that a healthy which is to remove the stimulus that terms of amount and frequency. complex and there are numerous theo- fat rich foods. triggers the response, says clinical You refer to ‘conditioning Thus like much of life, it is truly ries about it. The underlying causes of In addition, marketing foods online diet, which leads to a nutrition and metabolism expert response’ to explain food craving. about finding a happy, healthy medi- craving may be multiple — including with attractive discounts makes indi- healthy microbiome, John W. Apolzan in an email inter- But it’s usual for pregnant um. psychological, conditioning, emotion- viduals to crave more. It is an interest- view to DC. He is director at women to crave a variety of foods al, sensory and food imaging, to name ing observation that cravings for car- means you crave healthy Pennington Biomedical Research and the popular notion is it may Would you say culture and psy- a few. One of the most researched fac- bohydrate and fat rich foods does not food. Centre, Louisiana State University have to do with deficiencies? chology play crucial roles in trig- tors as a possible trigger for food crav- occur during regular mealtimes; System, USA. Yes often with palatable food it is a gering specific food cravings? ings is ‘mood’. Depressed and stressed instead, they primarily occur during conditioning response. However, I think culture and psychology play individuals or sleep deprived individ- snack time. It has also been seen that there is likely a different mecha- rather large roles in triggering spe- uals can also suffer cravings and end nocturnal sleep is associated with rich fruits and vegetables as part of nism (or mechanisms) at play for cific food cravings. You’re not going up in binge eating. increased food cravings and thereby daily diet may help curb craving. those that are malnourished and/or to crave a food you’ve never tasted. The addiction literature focused con- making the BPO and shift employees Other tips include trying to consume have deficiencies. The conditioning Further conditioning likely occurs siderable attention on the relation- the most affected and vulnerable seg- healthy, natural and minimally response would not hold true if due to the regions culture and psy- ship between cravings and the expo- ments of the population. processed foods when in stress, someone was protein deficient and chology. sure to a variety of external cues, maintaining a balanced diet, main- attempting to over-consume energy such as the sight and thought of foods STRATEGIES TO REDUCE FOOD taining mealtime and following a to meet their protein needs/require- What are best possible ways to (like sweets, snacks, alcohol). CRAVINGS - DO THEY WORK? similar healthy diet pattern daily ments. tackle craving, especially because Cravings have also been depicted as and small but frequent meals a whole lot of lifestyle diseases seasonal affective disorders, as some To date, a handful of studies have and eating mindfully. Have you observed any link to are linked to reckless eating people experience increased cravings focused on strategies to reduce food craving in the ambivalence habits? for sweet carbohydrate and fat-rich cravings. Studies have generally (The author is between one desiring a food Decreasing energy intake through foods as winter approaches. shown that craving-reduction strate- director, National and wanting to control its lifestyle interventions has been As is known our gut has a varied gies, such as thought suppression (try- Institute of intake? Or the craving shown to be successful in reducing species of microbes. These microbes ing not to think about the craved food) Nutrition, owes to a dilemma: to cravings. Nearly all weight loss are constantly under selective pres- or cue-exposure response prevention Hyderabad) eat or not to eat? diets lead to decreases in food crav- sure to increase their fitness and (presenting an individual with the I am not 100 per cent ing. So the first would be weight research suggests they could be craved food but not allowing them to sure of the ques- loss. Secondly with conditioning manipulating the host eating behav- eat it) are not very successful. tion. Actually model of food cravings, one would iour. Microbes could constantly look Thus there is a need to seek ‘decondition’ oneself. If someone for foods that they need to thrive on or new and different craving eats a bowl of ice cream nightly dur- could demand the foods that suppress reduction techniques. ing a specific TV programme then their competitors. These activities of Alternatively, experts you would try and get him/her to microbes could end up prompting the and nutritionists sug- stop the stimulus (i.e. host individuals to opt for certain gest a number of sim- watching the television foods or even crave them. For ple measures that programme). Go for a instance, sugar/sweet craving can can help keep food walk, go to the gym and increase with inflammation promot- cravings at bay. so on. ing gut bacteria, which are unhealthy. Being physically In contrast, National Institute of active, drinking Nutrition studies have shown that plenty of water, high fat diets and high carbohydrate consuming diets alter gut microbiota which may micronutrient CUT YOUR have an effect on neuro transmitters and fibre- that could in turn affect cognition and CRAVING mood. How this can help prevent crav- ing is yet to be established. Since our environ- ARE THE CRAVINGS FOR SAME ment is full of cues FOODS CAUSED BY SAME FACTORS? that could tap into our cravings, such as Craving the same food could have dif- advertising and pho- ferent mechanisms in different indi- viduals and at different times. tos on social media, Craving a particular food, say potato overcoming them isn’t wafers, could be caused by the percep- so straightforward. tion that these are often depicted as Research has found forbidden foods (unhealthy/junk foods). Attempts to restrain their eat- that one of the most ing could trigger increased food crav- effective ways to curb ings. cravings is to cut the Studies also show that diet composi- craved food from our tion and macronutrient intake regula- tion also play a role in craving sweet- diet, which runs tasting, palatable foods. It has also counter to the argu- been observed by some researchers ment that we crave that preference for a particular what we need. macronutrient is influenced by the prior macronutrient composition of