Food Porn and the Brain, 4

Porn versus porn? You can always find individuals who argue for the benefits of pornography, just as you can find others to argue for the downsides. Through the use of pornography, some people develop unrealistic expectations of real life sex or sexual partners and/or devote less time and energy to developing solid rewarding relationships (as a relationship with a picture is less demanding and can be more quickly rewarding). There are similar concerns about the long-term impact of food porn. Salivating and drooling over a picture happens in your brain, while selecting, preparing, and eating healthier food is much more demanding and may be less rewarding—especially if you have taught your brain reward system to light up when thinking about or imagining or looking at or eating less healthy foods. Part 5 tomorrow.