Neanderthink: An Outsize Appetite, Courtesy of Evolution

• I enjoy life more when I stay away from empty calories.
• Diets work when I make them work.
• Food is a drug.
• Feeling fit feels better than a lapse of will.
• Dieting gets easier if I don't cheat.
• I can enjoy mastery over my irrational impulse to overeat.

...But Don't Kid Yourself

Dieters consume a lot of mythology about dieting, argues Deirdre Barrett. Here are some reality bites:

• It's OK to cheat. No. Usually, it's much harder on your body when you cheat.
• Treats are rewards. In fact, treats prevent you from regulating glucose and insulin and make it much harder on you in the long run.
• It's too hard to drastically change eating habits. The truth is, it'll be easier overall to work on a drastic change for 72 hours, and it gets even easier once you've set a structure for healthy choices.
• I can eat until I feel full. False. In fact, you consciously register satiety long after your body is physically fortified—and full.