Vitamin G

Here's Why It Feels Like You Can't Stop Eating in the Winter

'Tis the season for baking, snacking, ordering in, and dining out—but a recent study suggests we may engage in extra eating during the winter for a much more biologically motivated reason.

Researchers from the University of Exeter created a computer model representing how much fat animals (including humans) must store during different times of year based on how much food is available and how likely they are to encounter a predator while foraging. (Hey, our species used to live in the wild too.) Not surprisingly, due to colder weather, the model showed we have a tendency to eat more in the winter, when, historically, food sources are scarcer and venturing outside is less desirable. Couple that urge with the fact that we're wired to biologically resist becoming underweight more than being overweight, since food shortages have been more of a problem than overabundance for the majority of human history.

The availability of tasty treats these days is also a culprit: "Because modern food today has so much sugar and flavor the urge humans have to eat it is greater than any weak evolutionary mechanism which would tell us not to," lead author Andrew Higginson, Ph.D., said in a press release.

The study also illustrated a commonly observed pattern: It's difficult for people to shed pounds to begin with because our bodies have certain set points they just don't want to drop below.

So if you're having trouble resisting leftover holiday treats, you can blame your hunter-gatherer ancestors. But don't be too mad: They had no clue Toll House Rolled & Ready packages would be waiting in your fridge one day.

Photos: Stocksy

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