Comments on: Cheesecake Is Like Heroin to Rats on a Junk-Food Diet http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day\'s most compelling topics. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:01:14 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Thomas Brown http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-65586 Thomas Brown Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:07:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=4649#comment-65586 When I am trying to lose weight, I cut my calories to 1500/day, switch to whole grains, eat beans, nuts, and soy for protein, and step up my fruits & veggies. I also get half an hour of cardio every day and half an hour of strength training six days a week. This plan allows me to lose about 2-2 1/2 lbs per week. Hope this helps. When I am trying to lose weight, I cut my calories to 1500/day, switch to whole grains, eat beans, nuts, and soy for protein, and step up my fruits & veggies. I also get half an hour of cardio every day and half an hour of strength training six days a week. This plan allows me to lose about 2-2 1/2 lbs per week. Hope this helps.

]]> By: Ian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-61075 Ian Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:51:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=4649#comment-61075 One thing to remember is that addictions are not the same as compulsions. An addiction is like heroin... over time, you become less responsive to it, and so you require more. There are debates and studies about what is and is not an addiction. People for a while have been calling pornography an addiction, but it may just be a compulsion. People don't necessarily need more and more of it, or more and more depraved images over time, they just *compulsively* view it. It is an interesting field of study, and one that definitely requires some thought so that people stuck with something, be it an addiction or compulsion, can receive the proper treatment to break their bad habits. One thing to remember is that addictions are not the same as compulsions. An addiction is like heroin… over time, you become less responsive to it, and so you require more. There are debates and studies about what is and is not an addiction. People for a while have been calling pornography an addiction, but it may just be a compulsion. People don’t necessarily need more and more of it, or more and more depraved images over time, they just *compulsively* view it.

It is an interesting field of study, and one that definitely requires some thought so that people stuck with something, be it an addiction or compulsion, can receive the proper treatment to break their bad habits.

]]> By: aladdin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-60746 aladdin Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:09:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=4649#comment-60746 More is not better, it is just more. Gimme Gimme Gimme. Have more, want more. Compulsive shoppers, eaters, gamblers, cannot even remember what they ate, bought, etc. Just the behaviour is more more more. With chemicals, drugs, food, there is a chemical dependency aspect as well as a behavioural aspect. Logic is totally useless against compulsions. More is not better, it is just more. Gimme Gimme Gimme. Have more, want more. Compulsive shoppers, eaters, gamblers, cannot even remember what they ate, bought, etc. Just the behaviour is more more more. With chemicals, drugs, food, there is a chemical dependency aspect as well as a behavioural aspect. Logic is totally useless against compulsions.

]]> By: Cory http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-60729 Cory Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:03:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=4649#comment-60729 Lol, did they really need a study to learn that junk food loses its awesomeness if it's all you eat? Lol, did they really need a study to learn that junk food loses its awesomeness if it’s all you eat?

]]> By: Jason http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/cheesecake-is-like-heroin-to-rats-on-a-junk-food-diet/comment-page-1/#comment-60713 Jason Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:57:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=4649#comment-60713 Can this kind of brain condition be attributed to other forms of "addiction" like people who are addicted to exercise, reading, woodworking or whatever? Can this kind of brain condition be attributed to other forms of “addiction” like people who are addicted to exercise, reading, woodworking or whatever?

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