Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, have found that women who consider themselves lonely have increased activity in brain regions associated with the craving for unhealthy foods. According to the JAMA Network Open journal, "93 women participated in this study, where researchers asked them to report whether they felt lonely and isolated from society. They were then divided into two groups based on their level of loneliness and shown alternating images of various food dishes alongside images without food. During this time, researchers recorded the participants' brain activity using MRI scans."
It was revealed that "participants who considered themselves lonely showed clear activity in brain areas responsible for craving sugary and unhealthy foods. Researchers observed this activity while participants viewed images of fatty foods and high-calorie foods rich in carbohydrates." According to the researchers, the seemingly unreasonable increase in appetite may indicate anxiety or depression related to loneliness. To overcome the strong desire for unhealthy foods, improving mental health is necessary.
