The premise of cognitive therapy is that one can overcome the irresistible temptation of highly palatable foods by actively restructuring the way one thinks about food. Testing this idea, participants in the present study were instructed to passively view foods, up-regulate food palatability thoughts, apply cognitive reappraisal (e.g., thinking about health consequences), or suppress food palat...

An increasing proportion of human food consumption appears to be driven by pleasure, not just by the need for calories. In addition to its effects on body mass and health, the food environment in affluent societies may be creating an appetitive counterpart to the psychological effects of other hedonically-driven activities such as drug use and compulsive gambling. This phenomenon is referred to...

Weight gain associated with smoking cessation impedes attempts to quit smoking and may lead to obesity. One factor that might contribute to weight gain is cravings for sweet or rich foods. To date, no reliable measure exists for evaluating these cravings. The purpose of the current study was to validate an assessment of craving for sweet or rich foods for use among smokers. With a sample of 385...

While few studies have applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to smoking addiction, existing work suggests that the intervention holds promise for altering the complex system by which environmental cues interact with cravings to drive behavior. Imaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation studies suggest that increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activatio...

Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) involves slow paced breathing (approximately six breaths per minute), thereby maximizing low-frequent heart rate oscillations and baroreflex gain. Mounting evidence suggests that HRV-BF promotes symptom reductions in a variety of physical and mental disorders. It may also positively affect eating behavior by reducing food cravings. The aim of the curr...

INTRODUCTION the nutritional panorama in Brazil indicates that the dietary patterns of the population is characterized by the increasing inclusion of saturated and trans fats, sodium, sugars, soft drinks. This epidemiological and nutritional challenges reflects in the patterns of illness and death. OBJECTIVE this study aims to identify patterns of food consumption and dietary changes in the f...