Study finds that some women's feelings of loneliness are linked to their appetite

“Think of business management as a brake,'' says the psychologist. alpana guptaHe is co-director of the Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the study's lead author. If your brakes are faulty, it will be difficult to avoid the food you want to eat. “But if your brakes are working properly, you can stop that food with just a little brake,” she says.

The study by Gupta and other UCLA researchers was published Friday in JAMA Network Open.

These findings are a step toward understanding the physiological relationship between loneliness and unhealthy eating, and may inspire immediate changes in behavior and future goals in obesity treatment.

A similarly designed study in men could help uncover gender-specific differences in brain activity associated with loneliness and eating habits. different brain patterns When it comes to obesity, says Mr. And understanding the causes and consequences, or correlations, of loneliness and eating habits requires follow-up longitudinal studies, which require collecting data from participants at many points in time, she said.

Lonely brain changes are strongest for sweet foods

Researchers collected demographic and body composition data (including BMI numbers) from 93 healthy premenopausal women living in Los Angeles between the ages of 18 and 50, with an average age of about 25.

The women completed questionnaires about their mental health, dietary behaviors, and feelings of social isolation, also known as loneliness. Perceptions of social isolation were assessed using established criteria. perceived isolation scale, Measure the frequency of support from friends, family, and partners.

The participants' brains were then scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which measures changes in blood flow throughout the brain as a proxy for activity.

from others neurological research Loneliness, reasoning, essential recognition, visual attention and rewardresearchers investigated those same networks in the context of food cues.

While inside the MRI scanner, the women were shown images of different categories of food. One set consists of high-calorie sweet foods such as chocolate cake and ice cream. The other was high-calorie, salty foods like fries and hamburgers. She also identified two low-calorie food categories, one salty and one sweet, each of which included salad and fruit.

Participants were shown a pixelated image of a non-food item as a comparison control.

Functional MRI data showed that participants with higher levels of social isolation had increased brain activity in response to food cues. inferior parietal lobulebrain structures associated with rumination, and the occipital cortex, which converts what the eye detects into information.

These participants also showed decreased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that is in the executive control network and important for reasoning and inhibition.

Changes in brain activity were strongest when participants who perceived greater social isolation viewed sweet, high-calorie foods, such as chocolate cake. sweet Food is known to stimulate the brain's reward centers, and one theory suggests that food can be a source of pleasure in times of solitude and help “reduce the social pain and discomfort associated with loneliness and isolation.” That's a possibility, Gupta said.

Apart from body composition and questionnaire data, the researchers found that participants with higher levels of social isolation had higher body fat percentages, lower self-reported dietary quality, and greater psychological resilience (the ability to adapt to difficult situations). ) were found to have poorer mental health, including a decline in mental health. .

loneliness and eating habits

“We talk about things like the fact that you might eat for emotional reasons and you might crave certain types of foods.” katherine hannaha lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at the Queensland University of Technology, has recently published an extensive paper. research review The relationship between loneliness and social isolation and food and eating behavior. But “what this study is doing is really looking at how the brain responds,” she said, beginning to fill in the pathways linking loneliness and eating.

“Part of the problem is that we tend to oversimplify why we eat what we eat, which leads to critical attitudes and things like, 'Maybe I should eat better?'” said Hanna, who was not involved in the recent study. . “And of course, changing your diet is much more complex than just having knowledge or having enough willpower.”

Diet and obesity contribute for many chronic diseasesAnd, as this study attempts to do, understanding how loneliness relates to food-related behaviors may help explain how loneliness contributes to chronic disease and early death. could help, psychologists said Louise Hawkleya senior fellow at the National Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Chicago.

But Hawkley, who was not involved in the study, said, “We're going to need a better assessment of eating behavior, not just self-reported behavior.”

How to combat loneliness

Experts said there are ways to connect with people that will benefit our eating habits and overall physical and mental health.

Hannah suggested finding ways to eat and cook with others. “It not only nourishes our bodies, but it also nourishes our social connections,” she said.

For example, at work, take time to eat at a communal eating area instead of at your desk, Hannah suggested. Take a cooking class or sign up to volunteer with a food-related organization such as a community garden or meal preparation and delivery service.

“Loneliness is more associated with poor relationships that cause stress and conflict than with relationship deficiencies,” Hawkley said, adding that much of his research has focused on the link between loneliness and health in aging. is guessing. “Probably the first decision is: Do we keep these relationships or do we let them go?”

“On the other hand, if you feel signs of rejection or exclusion that prevent you from even trying to connect with others, professional help may be helpful,” she says.

Hawkley also suggested finding interest groups or volunteer organizations that align with your interests. “Instead of looking for signs of rejection or exclusion, look for signs of acceptance, hints of connection, and people who may be seeking connection just like you,” she said.

Based on functional MRI data, finding activities that help people avoid ruminating over their desires and instead strengthen executive control could make a difference, said Gupta.She suggested things like meditation. stress reduction Practicing diary writing etc. And when her brain's reward center is screaming for a sweet craving, try grabbing a handful of berries instead of a second slice of her cake, she said.

If you're feeling lonely but aren't sure what to do first, start with something simple. Call your friend for a quick chat or text her. There's no need to go out and be a “social butterfly,” says Gupta. “Enabling people to do these small things can make a big difference in times of isolation.”

Have questions about human behavior or neuroscience? Email [email protected] I may answer that in a future column.