万花筒 2008-04-05&-4-06 节食不当，你的大脑很受伤

According to the experts, constant images of ultra thin models encourage an unhealthy desire in other people to imitate them, but now they’re warning the battle for size zero is not only putting our weight at risk, but also our brain. New research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry¹ states that studies on animals show that starvation followed by binging on highly palatable² foods, such as burgers or chocolate, can lead to a desire to over-consume and engage in addictive³ behavior.

 If you starve yourself, you then might overeat. You can’t keep a starved state going. It is dangerous because it affects the way our brain works and the whole of the rest of our body. And it can lead us to overeat and become unhealthily obsessed⁴ with our food. So, binge priming is quite a dangerous way of acting⁵.

 The size zero debate reared its head at last year’s London Fashion Week as protests were held against the use of skinny models. But some model agencies reject women for being too thin. Emma Jane Dolphin is in one of those agencies. At size 14 she believes keeping healthy should be a model’s priority.

 It’s primal⁶ that you, you know, that you eat when you’re hungry. And if you’re being deprived of that, then you’re not gonna to be relaxed. Then your nervous system is gonna be working overtime⁷, this is just gonna lead to all sorts of problems and illnesses later on. So I think, you know, eat regularly like everyone else.

 It’s hoped today’s revelations about the threat of famine-then-feast behavior will encourage those trying to achieve size zero to consider the longer-term effects and perhaps ask the question, is it really worth it?

 Rachel Phillips, ITV news.

1 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

2 palatable   

adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的

参考例句：

• The truth is not always very palatable.事实真相并非尽如人意。
• This wine is palatable and not very expensive.这种酒味道不错，价钱也不算贵。

3 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

4 obsessed   

adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的

参考例句：

• He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。
• The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 primal   

adj.原始的；最重要的

参考例句：

• Jealousy is a primal emotion.嫉妒是最原始的情感。
• Money was a primal necessity to them.对于他们，钱是主要的需要。

7 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。