Editorial Team
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Editorial Team | Published : July 17, 2014 5:20 PM IST
In what could result in specific behavioural interventions to treat obesity, researchers have found that obese women are better able to identify cues that predict monetary rewards than those that predict food rewards. 'What we observed is not a learning impairment, but rather a food-specific impairment present only in obese female participants,' said Ifat Levy from Yale School of Medicine at Yale University in the US. (Read: How obesity, satisfaction and where you live are linked)
The researchers examined how 133 normal-weight and obese men and women learn associations between cues and rewards. Participants saw two coloured squares. One colour was sometimes followed by an image of a reward; the other colour was never followed by a reward. At some point, these contingencies switched - the second colour was followed by a reward, while the first was not. (Read: Extreme obesity increases risk of dying)
The researchers found the obese women who performed the task with food rewards were impaired at learning and could not predict food rewards like they could predict the money rewards. The study appeared in the journal Current Biology. (Read: Gene linked to obesity responsible for weight gain)
What are reasons for obesity?
The prime reason is eating unhealthy foods which add more calories and provide less or no nutrition at all to our bodies. A regular intake of such foods plays havoc with our system depositing excess fat which adds weight and pushes us towards being obese.
Another factor is the lack of physical activity. Due to changes in lifestyle, people are plonked in front of their TVs or laptops for hours on end without getting any exercise which leads to weight gain and other health problems. Over time, this combined with unhealthy eating leads to obesity. Read more about Mega guide to curb obesity
Here is a healthy meal plan for the obese:
Breakfast:
2 onion uttapam, 1 cup low-fat curd, 1 fruit OR 1.5 cup vegetable dalia, 1 glass lemon water.
Lunch:
1 cup carrot and onion salad, 2 rotis, 1.5 cup aloo nutri curry, half cup curd OR salad, 1.5 cup steamed rice, 1.5 cup sambar, half cup buttermilk.
Dinner:
1 cup clear tomato soup, 2 rotis, 1 cup carrot-peas, hald cup yellow dal OR 1 cup tomato-cucumber salad, 2 rotis, 1 cup paneer curry. Read more about World Obesity Day: Why we need to control obesity
With inputs from IANS
You May also like to read:
For more articles on obesity, visit our obesity section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.
