Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Attention chocoholics

According to this study, there are two kinds of people in the world (metabolically speaking): chocolate lovers and those who are (can it be?) indifferent to chocolate's virtues.

The idea behind the study, frankly, smacks a bit of Big Brother:

This study by Swiss and British scientists breaks new ground in a rapidly emerging field that may eventually classify individuals on the basis of their metabolic type, or metabotype, which can ultimately be used to design healthier diets that are customized to an individual's needs.

I'm not sure I want to go there, or anywhere where someone is going to design a "healthier" diet just for me. Been there, done that (Weight Watchers, 1974).

Still, if it included chocolate, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. . . .

6 comments:

mary said...

That there are people who don't like chocolate, it baffles me. Do you think it's true Harriet,or is research messing with us again?

Fiona Marcella said...

It's true - I could live without chocolate - now without the delicious cheese and butter oatcakes that I've just had for lunch I can't imagine, but chocolate I can take or leave.

wriggles said...

So the body's nutritional needs are related to it's individual biology, who would've thought? Which must be why the body/mind manages to 'design' it's own diet without recourse to scientists, haven't they got anything better to do with themselves?

Tiffany said...

"Which must be why the body/mind manages to 'design' it's own diet without recourse to scientists,"

I might need some scientists. It's hard for me to believe that my body's nutritional needs are almost exclusively based in frozen pizzas and Butterfinger bars...whatever is "designing its own diet" in me is clearly not healthy instinct!

wriggles said...

rockstories, there is a constant interplay between internal and external cues to fashion your diet. It's up to you to manage both sides in a way that works best for you. You've looked at your diet and decided that it is possibly inadequate, what are the actual signs? Is it your own health or is it that your diet doesn't resemble what you are told it should be? Either way between your feelings about your own body and your mind you will find out. Other people can help with their expertise in whatever field, but it you are the primary manager of your own eating. Saying I don't think I eat well or whatever won't do, it's just a way of doing nothing really and if that's all anyone can do, they might as well be really positive about what they eat and enjoy it without stress.

Harriet said...

rockstories,
I would suggest that when certain foods are "forbidden," we tend to want to eat more of them than we truly want. This is known as the deprivation-binge cycle. Not to say that you're binging, but I know for myself, if I'm told that frozen pizza is bad for me, I will perversely want to eat it every night for a week.

On the other hand, if I can truly accept the fact that frozen pizza is just a food like any other food, with some nutrients in it, and if I tell myself I can have it any time I want, I'm going to eat it maybe twice a year. Oh, I might go through a phase of eating it every night for a month first, but that will gradually right itself.

I've gone through this process with lots and lots of foods I previously considered "bad" or off limits. It really works.