Why is There Always Room for Dessert?
You probably know the feeling of having a hearty meal at a restaurant, and feeling full and satisfied … only to take a peek at the dessert menu and decide the cheesecake looks just irresistible. So why is it that you just absolutely couldn’t have another bite, but you somehow make an exception for a sweet treat? Or as Jerry Seinfeld might put it back in the day “Whhaaaat’s the deal with dessert?!”
Scientists now have a better understanding of the neural origins of this urge thanks to a recent study published in the journal Science.
Working with mice, researchers tried to set up a scenario similar to the human experience described above. They started by offering a standard chow diet to mice who hadn’t eaten since the previous day. That “meal” period lasted for 90 minutes, and the mice ate until they couldn’t eat any more.
Excerpted from NPR
