Unit 5, Listening 2, The Science Behind Food Cravings

The Science Behind Food Cravings

Host:     Welcome back to Why in the World? Turning now to Twitter, we are going to try to scientifically answer some of your questions. Today, the question comes from Chuni in Beijing. She tweets, “Sometimes in the evening, when I’m sitting at my desk and working on homework, out of nowhere, I really, really want to eat something salty. It’s a bit disturbing because I’m not even really hungry. I just can’t think about anything else until I go to the kitchen and open a bag of potato chips. Why in the world do I have these strong food cravings?” Well, I certainly can relate to Chuni, except I often crave sweet foods, not salty foods. For me, chocolate is the ultimate snack! So, in order to answer Chuni’s question, we asked Lara Jones, a nutritionist from the Baltimore Institute of Food Sciences, Dr. Svacina, a dietary psychologist, and Howazen Al Ganem, professor of ethics in advertising at the University of Vancouver. First, Ms. Jones, what can you tell us about food cravings?

Ms. Jones:          Well, I think most people have experienced this kind of intense desire for a particular food. However, even though they are really common, there is not a lot of agreement about what causes these food cravings. In fact, there is an interesting debate among some experts right now. Many nutritionists believe that a food craving is a message from your body signaling a need for a particular nutrient or vitamin.

Host:     So, Chuni’s craving for potato chips might signal a lack of sodium?

Ms. Jones:          Yes, these nutritionists would say that her desire for salty food is a reaction to not having enough salt or sodium in her diet. Similarly, your desire for chocolate might come from a lack of the mineral magnesium.

Host:     Really? So, Dr. Svacina, do you agree that I should eat more chocolate?

Dr. Svacina:        Well, unfortunately not everyone agrees with this. Some psychologists point out that there is other food, like spinach or fish, that has much more magnesium than chocolate does, but most people don’t crave this food.

Host:     That’s true. I never crave spinach.

Dr. Svacina:        Also, while our cravings may start from real hunger, some scientists believe they are compounded by our feelings. Being sad, worried, stressed, bored, or lonely can make food cravings more likely. So, maybe while Chuni is doing her homework, she is feeling stressed or bored, which makes her a target for food cravings. Other researchers have discovered that where we live affects what we crave. Americans, for example, tend to crave chocolate . . .

Host:     Like me!

Dr. Svacina:        Exactly. However, Egyptians tend to crave more flavorful dishes, like stuffed eggplant. We also crave things that are in our immediate space. For example, if I walk past a bowl of nuts my co-worker has on her desk, I often start to think about how much I want to eat them.

Host:     Howazen Al Ganem, some of your research has focused on how TV advertisers use pictures of food to trigger cravings.

Prof. Al Ganem: That’s right. When we turn on the TV, we see image after image of rich, fatty, sweet, and salty food. So, just like Dr. Svacina craves the nuts on her co-worker’s desk after she sees them, I might start to crave a hamburger if I see one on TV. Suddenly, I just can’t live without one.

Host:     So, what does this mean for consumers? For those of us who race to the store when we experience a food craving?

Prof. Al Ganem: Well, that’s a good question. I think we really do need to think about the ethics of advertising unhealthy food to children, for instance. We may need to make modifications to our laws to protect young people from food cravings caused by TV. On the other hand, perhaps adults simply need to be aware of the effect TV can have on our desire for certain foods. We can also alter our TV watching habits, like walking to another room when the advertisements are on.

Host:     And what should I do if it’s too late, if I’ve already seen that delicious ice cream cone or slice of cheesy pizza, and I can’t get it out of my mind?

Ms. Jones:          Well, in that case, some experts have some surprising advice. They say we should let ourselves have a little bit of the food we are craving, so we can move past the craving and return to whatever it was we were doing.

Host:     That’s interesting advice! Thanks so much to our panel of experts for setting us straight about food cravings.