Think about a hot, gooey, cream-filled doughnut, fresh off the bakery line. Or how about a dense slice of dark chocolate cake, coated in a rich buttercream frosting and topped with a drizzle of decadent hot fudge?

Though you're probably salivating at the sound of that, we're not trying to destroy your diet – promise.

In fact, just the opposite: According to recent research, the more you try to block out your cravings for rich, fatty foods, the more likely you are to devour them in excess, given the chance.

In a study led by Dr. James Erskine of England's Hertfordshire University, a group of 134 subjects participated in a psychological experiment. Some of the participants were told to block out all thoughts of chocolate, while the rest were advised to speak freely about their love for the sweet stuff in all its forms.

Later, the participants were rewarded for their cooperation in the experiment with a choice of two chocolates. Though the subjects were under the impression that the psychologists were keeping track of which brand they chose, they were actually measuring how much chocolate each participant took.

According to the evidence, denying our desires just makes them stronger – on average, the female subjects who had blocked out all thoughts of chocolate wolfed down eight pieces of the forbidden treat after the experiment was over, while those who were allowed to chat about freely it ate only five pieces.

If you're a chocoholic, there's a lesson here for you: Give in to your cravings, if only a little bit. Trying to be virtuous all the time is dangerous – when you finally cave in, as you inevitably will, you'll probably gobble down a whole cake. Factor an occasional slice into your diet instead, and you'll be fine.

Learn more. (BBC News)


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