Rate of Obesity Higher For Women Because . . .
I thought it was just my personality that causes me to have a hard time saying no to yummy treats, but it looks like the reason is actually my gender. New research indicates that women are less able to suppress feelings of hunger than men.
In a recent study involving 13 women and 10 men, scientists taught the participants a technique called cognitive inhibition, to enable both genders to ignore feelings of hunger. Then all the participants were asked to fast overnight. The next morning, the scientists showed the men and women delicious foods and scanned their brains monitoring their reactions, while the participants practiced the cognitive inhibition technique. Both men and women say the technique worked, but the brain scans showed the part of the brain that responds to food remained active in the women, while it decreased for the men. Even though the women said they were less hungry, the part of the brain that controls their drive to eat was all fired up.
This gender difference when it comes to food and hunger may explain why more women overeat, and therefore have a higher rate of obesity. Scientists think it may have to do with the difference in our hormones. What do you think? In your experiences, do you crave and think about food more than the guys you know?
