Do you feel guilty after eating a late-night cheeseburger? Not being able to resist doughnuts in the office? Giving in to the siren song of a $1 pizza shop at 3 a.m.? You probably come down hard on yourself for a lack of self-control, but as it turns out, there might be genetic variants at play. A new study, conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, reveals that certain people are “hardwired” to crave fatty, sugary foods — boosting the credibility of a “fat gene.”
This study was small, limited to 45 white European adults, but the findings were significant: As the lead researcher explains, “It means they may experience more cravings than the average person when presented with high-calorie foods — that is, those high in fat and/or sugar — leading them to eat more of these foods.” So remember: When you drunkenly eat a pint of ice cream this weekend, you might just be powerless against the forces of nature.
