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Diet

Why do we wrestle with what we eat and how much we eat? Sometimes we eat the right foods in the right portions, and sometimes we eat the entire dinner table and all the wrong foods. Why is it so hard to eat healthfully? Whether you're trying to lose a few pounds or maintain a nutritious diet, you'll find answers to your questions here.

Appetite

Why There's Always Room for Dessert

Ghrelin is secreted by your stomach and tells your brain to keep eating.

by Susan McQuillan, M.S. in Cravings

The Virtue of Pessimism

Optimists may underestimate the setbacks and pitfalls they will face.

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. in The Science of Willpower

The Grown-up Picky Eaters Club

Kids aren't the only finicky eaters.

by Carlin Flora

Consuming Passions

Appetite may be the ultimate mind-body problem.

by Karen Wright

Saved by the Dog

Mingling, for me, is mangling.

by Frances Kuffel in What Fat Women Want

See Also

Nutrition

The Diabolic Secret Powers of Junk Food

Junk food has learned to fool humans into ever-increasing consumption.

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. in The Science of Willpower

The Color Me Happy Diet

How to eat a balanced diet by color.

by Clayton Simmons

Nature's Bounty: Soil Salvation

Growing your own food is better for your health.

by Daniel A. Marano

Nature's Bounty: Currying Favor With the Brain

Scientists are in hot pursuit of the spice turmeric to halt cognitive decline.

by Daniel A. Marano

Blueberries: A Fountain of Health

Boost your diet- and your coordination -- with blueberries.

by PT Staff

Nature's Bounty: The Smartest Food

A cup of berries can fight the ravages of time.

by Daniel A. Marano

Weight Control

The brain goes to great lengths to preserve body fat, because the body is adapted to food scarcity, which prevailed for most of human history. Food abundance is a new problem that puts on us the burden of self-control, which requires that we grapple with some of our deepest impulses.


The Problem with Dieting

How dieting creates food addicts

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. in The Science of Willpower

Moving Too Little or Eating Too Much?

Diets don't work because food is not the problem.

by Nigel Barber, Ph.D. in The Human Beast

Chemistry and Craving

What we eat and when we do it is profoundly influenced by a brew of chemicals in a specific part of our brain.

by Hara Estroff Marano

The Limits of Self-Control

Want to quit smoking? Pick up a chocolate habit.

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. in The Science of Willpower

Five Stealth Forces in Weight Loss

What makes a diet successful.

by Sora Song

A Healthy Substitute for Willpower

Can we do better than relying on simple willpower?

by J.D. Trout, Ph.D. in The Greater Good

See Also

Obesity

Bad Seeds and Everyday Gluttony

The common thread between obesity and evil.

by Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D. in Hero

Why We Won't Lick Childhood Obesity

Kids will get fatter because American life causes childhood obesity

by Stanton Peele in Addiction in Society

The Obesity-Depression Link

Overweight and depressed.

by Willow Lawson

Obesity: Sitting Isn't Pretty

The key to staying slim is standing up.

by Jennifer Drapkin

Watching TV Leads to Obesity

The more TV you watch, the fatter you become.

by Dennis Rosen, M.D. in Sleeping Angels

Sugar Addiction In Your Body, Not Just Your Mind

Is out of sight, out of mind the best policy for temptation?

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. in The Science of Willpower

Diet Tests

Emotional Eating

See if your relationship with food is healthy.
Nutrition Quotient

See if you know the good from the bad.
Vitamin Test

Do you have enough letters in your diet?
More Tests

The Latest on Diet

The Best Valentine's Day Gift for a Mindful Eater by Susan Albers, Psy.D.
Can't we find time to eat a meal as a family? by Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D.
Fast Food Dieting by Dr. Judith Beck
Don't delay, start eating well today! by Conner Middelmann Whitney
Could Michelle Obama Trigger a New Wave of Eating Disorders? by Susan Albers, Psy.D.
How you eat is as important as what you eat. by Christopher Ryan
The difference between being hungry and starving yourself by Emily Troscianko
Peanuts and Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum by Dr. Judith Beck
Mindful Eating in Six Words by Susan Albers, Psy.D.
Medication, medication, medication… by Michael J. Formica

Diet Blogs

  • Jan Chozen Bays

    Mindful Eating

    Rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food.
    By Jan Chozen Bays, M.D.
  • Susan Albers

    Comfort Cravings

    How to soothe yourself without food--and how to eat healthfully and mindfully.
    By Susan Albers, Psy.D.
  • Judith Beck

    Thinking Thin

    Training your brain to think like a thin person, and other psychological techniques for healthy weight loss.
    By Dr. Judith Beck
  • Susan B Roberts

    The Instinct Diet

    How to lose weight and keep it off.
    By Susan B. Roberts, Ph.D.
  • Susan McQuillan

    Cravings

    The many ways food fills our lives.
    By Susan McQuillan
  • Frances Kuffel

    What Fat Women Want

    Wanting to be thin is only part of the story.
    By Frances Kuffel
  • Rob Siegel

    Let Them Eat Cake

    A cardiologist challenges the conventional wisdom about diet, exercise, and heart health.
    By Rob Siegel
  • Leyla Muedin

    Intelligent Nutrition

    Exploring nutrition therapy for medical conditions and for optimization of individual biochemistry and metabolism.
    By Leyla Muedin
  • Dan Marano

    Thinking Food

    A blog about the cognitive implications of what we eat.
    By Dan Marano
  • Kelly McGonigal

    The Science of Willpower

    Secrets for self-control without suffering.
    By Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

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