Eat that chocolate - sensibly

Editorial

23 October 2007

Brace yourself everyone: a recent study has shown that the more you resist chocolate, the more harm you will cause yourself. That is, if you stop yourself from eating chocolate, you will end up eating more because suppressing your desire leads to a "rebound effect".

According to researchers, a conscious attempt not to eat chocolate essentially backfires against you. Unsurprisingly, their finding is more common among women who are more prone to "yo-yo" dieting and binge eating than men.

In other words, the issue is psychological. People who go about eating chocolate (or eating unhealthy foods or even smoking) are more likely to eat moderately than those who limit themselves. If anything, this study could potentially help those struggling to give up a bad habit.

So what is the moral of the story? Eat sensibly to avoid the rebound effect. Sometimes what you don't do is more dangerous than what you actually do.