Women struggle more with food cravings
Women find it harder than men to resist eating their favorite food, claim scientists.
Researchers found that men are better able to 'switch off' thoughts of tempting treats, which could explain their lower rates of obesity.
Brain scans showed that when women are shown their favorite food a number of complex mechanisms kick into action which they are not able to control.
Men however, were better able to resist their cravings reducing activity in regions of the brain linked to emotions and memory activation.
Women - busy stuffing their faces with cake - claim it is typical of men to turn off parts of their brain, particularly emotions and memory.
During the tests by Brookhaven National Laboratory subjects were presented with their favorite foods — from bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches to pizza and cinnamon buns and asked to smell, taste, observe the food, but not eat it.
Later, they were instructed to inhibit their desire for food prior to being tempted with the same treats.
“Even though the women said they were less hungry when trying to inhibit their response to the food, their brains were still firing away in the regions that control the drive to eat,” said Gene-Jack Wang, lead author on the study.
"In contrast, mens brain activity decreased along with their self-reports of hunger during the scan when they were asked to keep their hunger in check."
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