The common belief that food cravings are simply due to an addiction to high carbohydrate foods has been explored by US researchers.

A team of scientists from Tufts University, Boston, followed up 32 overweight women as they attempted to lose weight using two reduced calorie diets which differed in glycaemic load. The subjects completed questionnaires on their experience of food cravings, reporting the strength of the cravings, which foods were involved, and how they responded to the cravings.

The results showed that a wide variety of foods were craved. The only nutritional factor linking them was that they tended to be calorie-dense (a large number of calories per gram). Food cravings affected nearly all of the participants, suggesting that the phenomenon is more common than previously believed. Women who gave in to their cravings less frequently were more successful at losing weight. The results suggest that calorie cravings are normal but must be resisted when people are aiming to lose weight.

For more information, see
Gilhooly CH et al (2007). Food cravings and energy regulation: the characteristics of craved foods and their relationship with eating behaviors and weight change during 6 months of dietary energy restriction.International Journal of Obesity. Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803672.

EUFIC related material:
Nutrition-Carbohydrates
Health & Lifestyle-Diet & weight control
Health & Lifestyle-Food choice