In The News: Deprive Now, Pay Later

The London Times highlights an interesting editorial that popped up in this month's British Journal of Psychiatry.

In short, "animal studies showed that starvation followed by bingeing on highly palatable foods, such as burgers or chocolate, could alter the way that the brain responds to food."

Professor and eating disorders expert Janet Treasure of King's College of London's Institute of Psychiatry mentions that "after a period of food restriction, animals are intermittently exposed to highly palatable food they will significantly overeat. This pattern continues when their weight is restored."

Switch this to human terms and you get another reason why deprivation diets do not work.

Not only is the risk of overeating high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-fat snacks much greater after a period of deprivation, you are also more likely to continue this overeating normal eating patterns are resumed.

In short? You're right back to where you started -- and very likely with a few more extra pounds.

So, no need to call it quits with your favorite ice cream flavor. Just make it clear you'll only see each other in public (no late night loving in front of the TV at midnight) -- once a week.