Despite the very best of intentions, a New Year’s resolution to lose body fat may be more difficult for some people to fulfill than for others. 
New brain scan research indicates that in obese persons, neural activity in the brain may encourage over-eating. Writing in a recent issue of Science News, Janet Raloff explained the problem:
After a hungry person eats a meal, blood sugar glucose levels return to normal. In people of normal weight, this causes the shut-down of a neural system that promotes positive feelings toward food. It is the brain’s way of acknowledging satiation and signaling that the need for calories has been met. At that point, normal-weight persons stop eating.
But in obese persons, the system may not turn off following a meal. No matter how much they have just eaten, it still lights up at the sight of rich, high-calorie fare. This can occur even though blood sugar glucose levels have returned to normal. It may contribute to the persistence of obesity in some individuals who have tried and failed repeatedly to lose body fat.
With the holiday season upon us, there will be visitors and house guests — perhaps including grandchildren. What to serve them as a healthy snack? The American Diabetic Association recommends popcorn, but without the salt and butter. Instead, try flavoring popcorn with:
Researchers stress the importance of enjoying a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including those with edible sections that are red, purple, green, orange, yellow or white. So, do keep eating colorfully! However, Dutch researchers have discovered that fruits and veggies whose flesh is white may be value-added in terms of lowering one’s risk for stroke, as reported by the NIH publication MedlinePlus.
that reviews cutting edge research published in peer reviewed scientific nutrition journals and provides practical tips on eating to prevent, treat and even reverse disease. This series provides strong support for the belief held by many that a humane diet is also the healthiest.
For example, volume 4 alone features 99 chapters, including the following examples:
A study of nearly 4,000 persons, ages 65-plus, found that those who most closely followed a Mediterranean diet reduced their risk for cognitive decline with aging. The subjects’ cognitive skills were tested every three years for 15 years. Those with the highest adherence to the diet were the least likely to experience mental decline.
Results indicated that enjoying approximately 2.3 ounces of nuts daily decreased total cholesterol levels by 5.1 percent and LDL cholesterol (the "undesirable" type) by 7.4 percent. It improved the ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (the "desirable" type) by 8.3 percent and reduced triglyceride levels by 10.2 percent in persons with high triglycerides.
