怎样抵挡对垃圾食品的渴望

一项新研究证实了一件你可能已经知道的事情：我们很难抵御诱惑，不去吃那些渴望的食物。

《美国科学院院报》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences）在本周一发表的研究报告中指出，那些渴望垃圾食品的人愿为它们付出更多钱，可见这种感受有多么强烈。

在一项实验中，44位非节食者在四个小时没有进食后，要回答他们对于15种不同快餐食品的渴望程度，以及如果有5美元的预算，他们愿意为每种食品付出多少钱。接着，每位受试者会接受多重感官的刺激，以激起他们对三种可口的食品：士力架（Snickers）能量条、奇多（Cheetos）膨化食品或可口可乐（Coke）之一的渴望。随后，他们要回答对这种特殊食品的渴望程度，以及愿意为它付出多少钱。

研究人员发现，受试者对这种特定食品有了更强的渴望，还愿意为它平均额外付出0.66美元，或是为类似的快餐食品平均额外付出0.26美元。而对于那些相似度较低（因此更加健康）的食物，例如格兰诺拉燕麦卷或椒盐脆饼干，受试者却不愿付出这么多钱，这表明他们的渴望与通常意义上的饥饿有所不同。

在第二项实验中，研究人员对45名受试者重复了上述过程。不过这一次，每个人可以花钱购买他们渴望的任意多项食物。这一次，研究人员发现，人们愿意为喜欢的大量食物付出不成比例的更多价钱。

两项试验的结果表明了渴望的力量——无论是对食物还是对其他事物。

研究人员在论文中写道：“即使人们努力健康饮食，避免吸毒，但他们的渴望也会提高不健康食品或毒品的价值，而让健康的生活方式较之黯然失色。”

不过，好的一面在于，研究人员估计这种渴望会在两个小时内消散，如果“满足渴望的条件不足，或某人自制力很强”，消散的速度会更快。因此，如果你能忍一会，或许就可以抵挡垃圾食品的诱惑。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正

A new study confirms what you likely already know: Few things can stop us from hunting down the foods we crave.

A study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people are willing to overpay when they’re craving junk food — underscoring just how powerful these feelings are.

In one experiment, 44 non-dieters who had not eaten for four hours were asked how much they wanted 15 different snack foods, as well as how much they would pay for each item out of a $5 budget. Next, each person went through a multi-sensory experience meant to prompt cravings for one of three desirable foods: a Snickers bar, Cheetos or a Coke. They were then asked how much they wanted that particular item, and how much they would pay for it.

Not only did desire increase, but the researchers also found that participants were willing to pay an average of $0.66 more for the item they had been made to want, and an average of $0.26 more for similar snacks. When presented with less-similar (and, thus, healthier) items, such as a granola bar or pretzels, they were not willing to pay as much, suggesting that cravings operate distinct from general hunger.

In a second experiment, the researchers repeated the process with 45 people. This time, however, individuals could opt to pay for one, two, three, five or eight “units” of whatever they’d been made to crave. This time, the researchers found that people were also willing to pay disproportionately more for larger quantities of whatever food they desired.

Taken together, the results demonstrate the power of cravings — whether for food or something else.

“Even if people strive to eat healthier or endorse drug-free lifestyles,” the researchers write in the paper, “craving could overshadow the value of health by boosting the value of unhealthy foods or drugs.”

On the bright side, however, the researchers estimated the effects of subjects’ cravings would dissipate within two hours, and potentially less time if “this good is not available, or when a person engages in self-regulation.” If you’re able to wait it out, then, you may be able to resist the lure of junk food.