In 2009, researchers released a number of high-profile studies on topics such as which diet plans produce the happiest dieters or which programs put your heart at risk. Here are the top 10 diet stories of 2009.
Put your mind to it
Could the key to maintaining weight loss be in the power of the mind? Research indicates successful dieters may have rewired their brains to control their response to food.
A study conducted by Brown Medical School compared the brain activity responses to images of low- and high-calorie foods between three groups of participants: normal weight, overweight, and dieters who had successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off three years or more.
The tests revealed parts of the brain recruited for complex tasks and inhibition were more active in the dieters than those of normal weight, which indicates weight-losers may make a greater effort to avoid indulging.
Researchers are uncertain as to when or how these mental patterns are formed (e.g., during the process of becoming obese or while dieting), but discovering associations between the mind and eating behavior may provide a mental edge for would-be dieters.
