Appetite may be the ultimate mind-body problem: So researchers are studying rat junkies—and human subjects, too—in the hopes that a deeper understanding of appetite will yield strategies to obstruct it. The studies explore psychology as well as physiology because, as every dieter knows, appetite afflicts the mind as much as the body. Hunger and craving may originate in the flesh, but they manifest in that zone of consciousness where want and need are easily confused. To clarify the difference, it helps to distinguish between “brain hunger”—the mind’s desire to eat for pleasure—and “stomach hunger”—the body’s demand to eat for energy. [Psychology Today]
Mind games may improve our performance at work: A daily regime of mental gymnastics can improve people’s intelligence and make them better at their jobs, a study has shown. Volunteers who took part in tests found that they had better memories, were able to reason more effectively and could solve tougher problems. [Times]
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