One of the researchers, Dr. Gene Jack Wang – senior scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, believes this helps place another piece to the puzzle in understanding behaviors and diet. Dr. Wang speculates that “women may have more trouble saying no to food because they sometimes have to eat for two.” He continues by saying that maybe evolution contributes to women having difficulty saying no because “of their important mission to have a baby.”  For me, I kind of get where he’s coming from, but I don’t think he can speak for every woman by saying “it’s our important mission to have a baby.” I think it would have been better wording had he said something along the lines of our body is biologically apt to provide for two. Honestly, the more I think about this the weirder it becomes for me.

The researchers asked 13 women and 10 men about their favorite foods, in which a variety of dishes were listed, then had the participants fast for 20 hours. After the fast, the researchers presented the subjects with their favorite foods, but they were only allowed to smell and sample the food (not consume a serving of it). While doing this the participants were linked to PET scans which examined their brain activity. The researchers then asked the participants to try to reduce/inhibit their desire to want to eat the food.

The researchers found that certain areas of the brain became more active in both the men and women when they were tempted with food, in fact, the areas that lit up control our emotions (such as motivation). Both the men and women succeeded in making themselves feel less hungry, but the brain scan suggested that the women’s brains were still acting as if they were hungry. The researchers interpreted this by saying that the women may have thought they were less hungry, but their brains didn’t seem to be entirely on board.

This study, although with many flaws and would need to be conducted numerous times over to get similar results, does provide us with a different outlook on overeating. The best way to overcome overeating is to properly train yourself to listen to your body (don’t ignore internal cues), eat slowly, and realize that you don’t need to clean your plate!

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New Study Shows Saying “No” to Food Harder for Women

The benefits may be long lasting for young ladies who take part in weight-bearing activities (running, tennis, volleyball, etc.). A new study shows that older women who participated in weight-bearing activities in their youth now have stronger bones than those who didn’t.

From WebMD:

Researchers say the findings suggest that weight-bearing exercise in adolescence may help maintain strong bones throughout life and compensate for the natural loss of bone strength that occurs in women after menopause.

Maybe the most fascinating discovery that came from the study is how the effects were long lasting, even if the person didn’t continue exercising in their adult life. Researchers say none of the women in the study did weight-bearing exercise at the time of the current study, which suggests that the benefits may last 40 years or more.

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Youth Exercise Strengthens Bones for Women

Mauritanian men and women define beauty as being “plump,” said Houda, a native of the country. From a young age, girls are force-fed couscous and camel’s milk, which is high in fat, all in an effort to make the girls gain weight so that they can find a husband. Often times, the girls are stuffed so full that they get sick, but given little recovery time before the feeding begins again. It seems the fatter the better in this culture.

Houda’s father is a doctor and treats women with all the obesity-related medical problems, but she says none of that deters these women. “When you’re skinny, you’re even considered as sick or there’s something wrong with you,” she says. “Women that are fat, they’re really happy.” Houda explained to Oprah that what women want to see in themselves is exactly what men are looking for- big butts, thick ankles, plump arms, stretch marks, and even a couple of divorces.

She said the culture does not frown upon divorce, and that the more a woman has the more attractive she is to men.

The episode also looked at the beauty trends in Brazil and found that the women there want to be in tip-top shape. Brazilians consume more diet pills than anyone else in the world, and they are second to the U.S. for plastic surgeries. The average Brazilian woman weighs 110–125 pounds, and given their proximity to the beach are constantly aware of having to show off their bodies and want them to be presentable.

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Overweight, Divorced Women Welcome in Mauritania

These findings are very important and pregnant women should be strict about staying within their recommended weight gain for their pregnancy (range varies depending on the mother’s current weight status… i.e. underweight, overweight, obese, or normal weight). It is very important that pregnant women and their physicians take this matter seriously and for the doctors to do a better job of counseling women or referring them to a dietitian about their weight gain.

A few tips for achieving a healthy pregnancy diet:

- Choose lean sources of protein

- Select whole grains and complex carbohydrates

- Avoid refined sugars and processed foods

- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

- Choose low-fat milk and drink plenty of water.

- Try to plan meals ahead and not give into too many fatty food cravings (snack foods, cakes, soda and candy).

- And, talk to your doctor about an exercise regimen

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Extra Weight Put On During Pregnancy Linked to Bigger Babies