The Bridget Jones effect: Women really DO crave sweet treats when they're ... trends now
When Bridget Jones was dumped, she instantly reached for a tub of ice cream to soothe her heartache.
And scientists reckon they now know why.
Lonely women crave sugary treats because they act like emotional painkillers, according to a new study that helps to explain what drives us to 'comfort eat'.
Researchers assessed almost 100 women, showing them pictures of sweet and savoury food.
Lonelier women, as defined by the US team, showed greater brain activity in areas highly linked with food cravings.
When Bridget Jones (pictured) was dumped, she instantly reached for a tub of ice cream to soothe her heartache. And scientists reckon they now know why. Lonely women crave sugary treats because they act like emotional painkillers, according to a new study that helps to explain what drives us to 'comfort eat'
Experts at the University of California, Los Angeles, said their findings highlight the 'vicious cycle between unhealthy eating and negative mental symptoms'.
'Holistic approaches' that target both the body and mind to 'nourish' a lonely brain should be used to help women break out of this cycle, they said.
Lead author Dr Xiaobei Zhang added: 'If you have more cravings, you eat more and may have more anxiety or depression, which may lead you to eat more.'
Dr Arpana Gupta, also involved in the JAMA Network Open study, said: 'Researching how the brain processes loneliness and how this is related to obesity and health outcomes hasn't been done.
'These findings are interesting because it provides evidence for what we intuitively know.
'When people are alone or lonely, it impacts more than how they are feeling; they underreport what they eat, their desire to eat, and their cravings, especially for unhealthy foods.'
All 93 female participants were quizzed on their feelings of loneliness and isolation as well as their dietary habits.
Body composition tests were also taken to estimate their body fat.
Results showed the more socially isolated women were found to have higher levels of body fat, a worse diet, greater cravings and more uncontrolled eating patterns.
The loneliest participants, as per the study, also reported having more symptoms of anxiety and depression.
They were then shown pictures of different types of food —
