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Why Diets Fail

Thomas Hawk/flickr creative commons

Many have blamed sugar for dieting failures, but this new book, Why Diets Fail, is the first one backed by current research from the food addiction lab at Princeton University, and it zeroes in on how dieters can get through the make-or-break withdrawal period.

Diets usually fail early, especially in the first three to four weeks when the body craves a return to sugar. According to neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Avena, author of Why Diets Fail, sugar is addictive and triggers the same powerful responses in the brain as cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. The more sugar that is consumed, she says, the more sugar is needed to get the same pleasurable response.

The book focuses on getting through the tough cravings period, and what to do if you experience a relapse.

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This show originally aired April 29, 2014.

GUEST:

  • Dr. Nicole M. Avena is the co-author, with John R. Talbott, of Why Diets Fail and an expert in diet, nutrition, and addiction. She received her doctorate in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton and did her post doctoral research at The Rockefeller University in New York.

MUSIC:

  • “Gne Gne,” Montefiori Cocktail
  • “Modul 41_17,” Nik Bärtsch's Ronin
  • “Modul 42,” Nik Bärtsch's Ronin
  • “Modul 44,” Nik Bärtsch's Ronin

Lori Connecticut Public's Morning Edition host.
Jonathan is a producer for ‘The Colin McEnroe Show.’ His work has been heard nationally on NPR and locally on Connecticut Public’s talk shows and news magazines. He’s as likely to host a podcast on minor league baseball as he is to cover a presidential debate almost by accident. Jonathan can be reached at jmcnicol@ctpublic.org.
For more than 25 years, the two-time Peabody Award-winning Faith Middleton Show has been widely recognized for fostering insightful, thought-provoking conversation. Faith Middleton offers her listeners some of the world's most fascinating people and subjects. The show has been inducted into the Connecticut Magazine Hall of Fame as "Best Local Talk Show".

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