Are you an insatiable snacking machine? Covered in blue fur? Now there is hope.
New research from the University of Birmingham in the UK indicates it may be possible to stop yourself from snacking if you use your brain.
They ran a test in which half the volunteers were asked to vividly remember and describe their last meal — lunch in this case — and the other half were asked to remember their last haircut. Then delicious, delicious cookies were served. Those who were asked to remember their last meal ate fewer cookies (or “biscuits” in UK parlance).
The researchers believe the vivid, specific memory stimulates the hippocampus, which they say may play an important role in decision-making and memory-processing. “One possibility is remembering recent eating boosts the influence this information has on decision-making,” says Suzanne Higgs, lead researcher on the study.
No word yet on what effect remembering previous meals has on removing one’s hideous pelt.
Though there are fewer Muppets references, New Scientist has more details. Humor-blogs.com is also covered in blue fur. Anyone else think the cookie monster might have some serious food issues? And yes, I am dieting.
