OUR desire for fatty food is so great that we don鈥檛 heed the warning when our
bodies tell us that we鈥檝e had enough, according to an expert on the psychology
of eating.
Most physiologists believe that the presence of fat in the bloodstream tells
the brain that we are full, to prevent us overeating. But John Blundell, a
nutritional psychologist at the University of Leeds, told the BA meeting that
his research suggests most people simply ignore this physiological safety
signal.
In one test, Blundell gave volunteers a meal that appeared perfectly normal,
but had been altered to contain unusually large quantities of fat. They ate no
less than volunteers given a standard meal, and so consumed much more
fat鈥攚ithout noticing.
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In another study, Blundell gave two groups of volunteers meals that were
identical except that one contained real fat and the other contained Olestra, a
fat substitute that is not absorbed into the bloodstream. The volunteers were
all given pager-like electronic devices that allowed them to record how hungry
they felt at regular intervals throughout the day.
鈥淭he hunger profiles were identical whether people ate the fat or the
Olestra,鈥� says Blundell. 鈥淪o if the body does notice it鈥檚 taking in lots of fat,
it doesn鈥檛 seem to care.鈥�
Blundell鈥檚 findings could be bad news for drugs companies which are trying to
develop pills that suppress appetite by tricking the body into thinking that the
bloodstream is already laden with fat.