• "All of the companies doing the digging have historically paid royalties to the states. But these were woefully small which is why Kevin Rudd as prime minister decided to impose a 40 per cent super profits tax on all mining and petroleum companies on the realized value of the resource deposits they extracted. As history shows, Julia Gillard renegotiated the tax with a handful of the big miners, after she ousted Mr. Rudd. The result is a 22.5% MRRT on a handful of iron ore and coal companies whose resource profits tip $50 million per annum." Why why why? Why wasn't this changed back to the original 40% in the budget? Nothing to lose, everything to gain! Big big disappointment. Thanks Monica for this piece. - Annie Also
  • I feel that these celebrity endorsements of products must be very successful with a large number of people. Years ago, women's magazines used to be quite interesting, and covered many diverse topics. Nowadays, those which I find, or am given, are at least three quarters full of celebrity gossip, which does not interest me at all. Obviously, the large numbers of people who buy these periodicals are greatly influenced by what these celebrities do and wear, and are very likely to be influenced by celebrity endorsed merchandise. Years ago, I looked after an 86 year old actress, who had beautiful skin. When I asked her what she used, she said Sorbolene and witch hazel! I have since read that dermatologists recommend sorbolene as the best skin cream and that is all I have used since! I gave up using the witch hazel, when I considered it quite expensive for my budget. I recently found some lipsticks in a local pharmacy for $2. These actually last longer than much more expensive brands. A high percentage of the price of high profile brands is the advertising. If they need to advertise so widely, I wonder whether the products really are superior to cheaper goods. No celebrity endorsement would persuade me to buy anything. If a star is wearing an item of clothing which I like, I will try to make myself something similar, but wouldn't ever be persuaded to buy it. The same goes for grocery items. I find the generic brands are excellent, and I take no notice of the advertisements or celebrity endorsements! - Annamargaret
  • You can also buy mining company shares on the ASX. Instead of putting your money in poker machines or deposit your money safely in one of the big 4 banks, you could also invest in an Australian mining company, maybe you'll get someof those dividends or maybe the mining company will go broke. That is the risk, if you don't want to take the risk then don't complain about those that do. - David mining investor
  • Celebrity endorsements are really nauseating. The Swisse one...goodness me..what a crock. My thirteen year old daughter watches it with incredulity knowing our Nic is botoxed up and it ain't vitamins that give her youthful looks. It's easy to portray peaceful whimsy if you can't move your face! It's so embarrassing. Mind you I'm a bit of a non-conformist so celebrity endorsements just make me feel contrary! - Rebe
  • Just remembered, I have fallen foul of the 'celebrity endorsement,' once ... when I was about 16/17. I lived on TAB for about a year after watching a then unknown Elle McPherson come out of the surf and not do a panicked scramble for her beach towel. First time, last time. And the product worked. I was divinely thin, a bit of my hair fell out from malnutrition but there's always a compromise, right? - Gee
  • Don't watch ads but I saw the big photo of Brad Pitt at the perfume counter in David Jones and wondered what he was doing there LOL - Rhoda
  • Citing either The Australia Institute or the Greens as a fact-checker is precarious given that they are committed to either the winding down or closure of mining. An August 2011 analysis by the Reserve Bank of Australia calculates that through direct labour costs (around 10 per cent of total mining operational revenue), the mining industry’s demand for domestically sourced intermediate inputs especially services (perhaps around 25 per cent of total revenue), tax and royalty payments (close to 15 per cent of total revenue in recent years), and the share of the after-tax profits owned by Australian residents (around 5–10 per cent of total revenue) suggests that overall, Australian residents accrued a little over half of the total receipts earned from current mining operations. This finding is consistent with the actual company data for spending across Queensland that can be found at www.queenslandeconomy.com.au. - Gary Doggett
  • So true Carole/m, and wasn't it nice to know that Gina was in Parliament with all the 'rent-a-crowd' on Thursday night to cheer on Rupert's boy Tony. I wonder if Gina provided the champers for the dinner afterwards to celebrate his "brilliant" speech. Seems the exhilaration ended badly for Peta Credlin. - JoanneH
  • Nice try Lynda , just a couple of problems looming for " Ruperts Boy" . He's about to find himself in court with compliments of David Etteridge & if he's got the guts to hold himself to his own standards, he'll have to stand down . Wouldn't want to have his tainted vote in the Parliament would we. Brough , Pyne , Bishop , Hockey and others are about to be investigated regarding the Ashby Conspiracy . So much for corruption . - Carole/m
  • I'll have what they're having :) - Jillm
 
Categories:  Must see, News and Opinion

I WANT IT… NOW!

Whenever I read a book and a selection of characters are, say, hanging around a cosy Irish farmhouse kitchen making pots of tea in a big old brown stoneware pot, I want a cup of tea. Now.

Or the scene is set on a warm summer’s evening: two people meet outside on the loggia of an Italian seaside villa and pull the cork out of a bottle of wine straight from the fridge, as condensation drips slowly down the cool, green, icy-cold glass. I think: Is it too early for a sauvignon blanc?

Does this say something about the author’s skills of evocation, or more about my feeble-minded suggestibility?

Or just the curious nature of food cravings? Has that notion itself – “craving” –  been invented by Americans?

 

A fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal this week gathers together a raft of scientific research from around the world to explain food cravings. As the obesity epidemic continues apace, scientists say it is important to look at the urges that govern the food we eat.

The studies show that your body doesn’t really know what’s good for it (as your grandmother may have said). Food cravings are not “hormonal” or “instinctual”. Food cravings are NOT some subconcious effort by the body to correct imbalance for (say) more protein or salt or iron.

Cravings are, instead, a complex mix of social, cultural and psychological factors, heavily influenced by environmental cues.

For example: Japanese hanker after sushi while North American women want chocolate.

And as for that term “craving”?

“Many other languages don’t have a word for ‘craving.’ The concept seems to be uniquely important in American culture,” says one psychologist.

The author of the WSJ article, Melinda Beck, posed questions about the nature of food cravings – “is it really the food you crave, or the pleasant associations it brings? Or do you crave it partly because you know you shouldn’t have it? Will fighting the urge make it go away or only make it worse?”

The answers are surprising.

Among the findings so far:

Food cravings activate the same reward circuits in the brain as cravings for drugs or alcohol, according to functional MRI scans, tests that measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Nearly everyone has food cravings occasionally, but women report having them more often than men, and younger people crave sweets more than older people do.

In one study, 85% of men said they found giving in to food craving satisfying; of women, only 57% said they did.

Researchers haven’t found any correlation between food cravings and hormone levels, and postmenopausal women don’t report a big drop in chocolate cravings, a 2009 survey found.

While many women report craving salt, fat or bizarre combinations of food during pregnancy, researchers can’t find much scientific validation. They suspect folklore and the power of suggestion instead.

Ah, the power of suggestion.

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8 Responses to this article

  1. sue bell September 19, 2012 Reply
     
     

    How cruel you are Hoopla a great big ad for Guylian chocolates next to an article on food cravings. Oh the humanity.

     
  2. Matt September 19, 2012 Reply
     
     

    For what it’s worth I am currently in the middle of a strict 8 week eating and exercise plan known as “The 8 week challenge” (8WC). So when it comes to cravings I have some very real and very current first hand experience.
    The 8WC is very similar to the Dukan diet, protein only for the first 2 weeks then slowly adding vegetables over the remaining 6 weeks. So I’ve recently gone cold turkey on all things sugar, alcohol, carbohydrate and deep fried.
    What have I craved? Almost exclusively sugar. My energy levels plummeted and I just wanted something, anything to feel normal. Sugar is easy, it’s instant and it tastes nice. I haven’t missed anything else.
    A good rule of thumb to avoid cravings is never let yourself get overly hungry. Eat every 3 hours, even if it’s only something small and drink lots of water throughout the day. You’ll be less likely to reach for the Mars Bars if you feel you have something in your stomach already.
    Anyhoo that’s just my 2 cents worth.

     
  3. Shell September 20, 2012 Reply
     
     

    I find cravings only happen on highly restrictive diets. Or if you cut out a favorite food group.

    I crave bacon and eggs mostly. Now I ANSI used to eggs in my diet that if I go more than a day without I get cravings.

    I find I don’t get cravings often. I just eat what I like, since I started doing that I lost weight.

     
  4. Aeron Winters September 20, 2012 Reply
     
     

    The only time I ever had cravings was when I was pregnant. I craved salt like tomorrow there was going to be no salt to be had. It was really weird because I do not have a salt tooth at all. In fact, usually I can’t tolerate anything too salty. Everyone kept telling me I would have problems because of all the salt I was eating…but nope, I had none whatsoever. Whether or not science can find a connection, I still believe my body must have needed the salt while pregnant because the cravings only lasted until delivery and under normal circumstances had I consumed that much salt I would have had a lot of fluid retention.

     
  5. Ro. Watson September 20, 2012 Reply
     
     

    I want it now~ so I would have failed the marshmallow test for 4 year olds~hence,grand achievements and postponment of instant gratification are not for me~ meanwhile, broccoli is apparently not so good for people with thyroid issues~ who’d have thought this were so~and one lesson from this is :everything good for some, is not good for all….

     
  6. blu-k September 20, 2012 Reply
     
     

    I find the info on pregnancy weird as my pregnancy craving were so real and acute – I don’t normally have a sweet tooth, but I was a sugar fiend for both my pregnancies, and as soon as the baby was out the cravings stopped. I find it hard to believe it was just psychological … hmmm.

     
  7. MoniqueN September 21, 2012 Reply
     
     

    I went to a health retreat for a week a few years ago and on the first night all I could think about was how much I wanted a steak (the place was strictly vegetarian, alcohol free nicotine free, caffeine free) Of course the only reason I wanted it was because I couldn’t have it I had just eaten a very satisfying dinner, but steak was on my mind. So I went to bed, and I fell asleep and didn’t think about steak again for the rest of the week.

    This is why some experts say it’s bad to deny yourself, because once you forbid yourself something it’s all you think about. I really like the half an hour idea, I think next time I’m craving chocolate I’m going to put it into practise.

     

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  • Annie Also: "All of the companies doing the digging have historically paid royalties to the states. But these were woefully small wh...

  • Annamargaret: I feel that these celebrity endorsements of products must be very successful with a large number of people. Years ago, ...

  • David mining investor: You can also buy mining company shares on the ASX. Instead of putting your money in poker machines or deposit your money...

  • Rebe: Celebrity endorsements are really nauseating. The Swisse one...goodness me..what a crock. My thirteen year old daughte...

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