Thus far this blog has been about dieting from a behavioural perspective. I intended to write a few more entries, however for various reasons I took a break from regular writing. Also, I rewrote an entry several times until I finally decided to put it aside.
Ear Infections, Obesity and the Attention to Taste
The entry I put aside was on the alleged connection between a history of severe middle-ear infections and obesity. Some studies indicate that there is a correlation, and hypothesize that this is because middle ear infections can damage the chorda tympani, a nerve that carries taste information from the front of the tongue to the brain. This may impede our taste experience which, some researchers hypothesise, can lead us to eat more to attain the same taste experience as could otherwise have been achieved.
This correlated nicely with the story I really wanted to tell; that eating food which does not challenge our senses, or eating in a manner where we do not pay attention to the taste, increases the likelihood of overeating. As I researched the subject of middle-ear infections and obesity further, I realized that the connection hypothesis is much disputed, and decided that the evidence currently couldn’t carry my storyline.
Limitations of the Internet Media
While the middle-ear infection/obesity connection may or may not hold true, the basic premise, that taste impediment or lack of attention, or eating food which doesn’t challenge our senses, can make us overeat, is accurate. However the reality is very complex. For now I gave up on putting into a format which was suitable for a blog format – after all – if you read this far – you have already read considerably longer than most people do on a web page.
Dieting blog epitaph
In response to my dieting blog, I have received many questions about dieting and nutrition in general. These questions have surprised me, and the misunderstandings I have encountered have led me to promise that I will attempt to answer the questions and provide some general advice on nutrition. If you have questions in this regard, feel free to send them. You can use the contact form on the contact page.
So now what?
Now, I will change focus to a different area of the behavioural sciences: the psychology of influence. As with the entertaining subject of eating from a behavioural perspective, there are a mountain of studies on the subject of how we are influenced, and how we influence other people’s decisions. This will be the subject for many entries to come.