Family Living
Focus
Beaver Co.
Extension Agent
Mary Alice Gettings
Are You A Chocoholic?
For those of you who consider
yourselves “chocoholics,” you’re
not alone. Forty percent of fe
males and 15 percent of males
crave chocolate, with three-quar
ters of these people reporting
that nothing but chocolate will
appease their desire.
Studies have reported it is the
most commonly craved food in
North America, especially
among young women.
Are you a craver or an addict?
Many of us say we are addicted
to chocolate when, in reality, we
just have a craving for it. A choc
olate craving is described as an
occasional, intense motivation
aimed at consuming chocolate.
You need to ask yourself a few
questions to determine if you are
a true chocolate addict.
I. Do you exhibit uncontrolled
compulsive behavior by eating an
excessive amount of chocolate?
2. Do you experience true
withdrawal symptoms when you
don’t eat chocolate?
3. Do you have a heightened
sense of well being while eating
chocolate?
4. Does your desire for choco
late interfere with your life by in
terrupting your thoughts and ac
tions and influencing your
mood?
While a few of you may now
classify yourself as a chocolate
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addict, most of us are just choco
late cravers.
A fair amount of research has
been done to try to determine
what it is about chocolate that
makes it the most craved food
around. While research has not
been able to pinpoint the exact
reason, they have studied four
possible reasons.
• Sensory Effect The most
widely accepted theory is that
cravings for chocolate are based
on its taste, smell, and texture.
The cocoa butter in chocolate
melts at body temperature and
contributes to the pleasurable,
mouthwatering experience when
we eat this sweet. In addition, we
are likely bom with a taste for
sweet and high-fat foods, and
chocolate fits the bill. For these
reasons, we should be able to ap
pease our cravings with white
chocolate, but that doesn’t seem
to be the case.
This may lend support to the
theory that chocolate, but not
white chocolate, contains chemi
cals which help to fulfill our
cravings.
• Chemical Effect One of
these chemicals, phenylethyla
mine (PEA), acts as a stimulant.
Studies have shown that PEA
acts as a mood regulator, and
low levels in the body may qause
depression. Some experts believe
that chocolate cravings may be
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ketchup, salad dressing and
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an attempt to increase PEA in
the brain and enhance mood.
However, other foods like cheese
and sausage contain large
amounts of PEA, but are not
craved like chocolate. Other
studies say that PEA is broken
down in the body too quickly to
have any effect.
Two other components in
chocolate that may act together
as stimulants are caffeine and
theobromine. Many are well
aware of caffeine’s ability to be
addictive. Does it serve the same
purpose in chocolate?
A third component of choco
late, N-acylethanolamines, may
interact with caffeine and the
obromine to provide a person
with a sense of well-being. This
last chemical in chocolate may,
in fact, affect the brain to pro
vide a sense of euphoria.
• Nutrition Effect Some
studies reveal that chocolate
cravings may occur if the body’s
magnesium levels are low. Stress,
which can cause the body to get
rid of magnesium through urine,
may contribute to chocolate
cravings. This may be one of the
reasons women crave chocolate
prior to their menstrual cycle.
The problem with this theory is
the fact that nuts contain high
levels of magnesium and women
experiencing premenstrual syn
drome (PMS) generally don’t
crave nuts.
Several studies have shown
people with negative moods have
a greater tendency to be cravers
and “emotional” eaters. This
lends support to the idea that
eating chocolate may be a way
for us to regulate chemicals in
our brain and bodies to regulate
appetite, hunger, mood, and ad
dictive behaviors.
Hormone Effects Hormones
may influence chocolate crav
ings. Prior to the menstrual
cycle, there is an increased blood
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level of progesterone, a hormone
that reduces fat levels in the
blood. This decreased blood fat
may trigger the body to crave
high-fat foods. Again, chocolate
fits the bill.
Why are we cravers or ad
dicts? At this point, it doesn’t
look like any one theory can pro
vide us with the reason for the
strong desire for chocolate. Each
has its positive and negative
points. While the sensory theory
Don’t Delve Into Paychecks
Before They’re Earned
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The escalating popularity
of payday loans proves that
many consumers, strapped for
cash and not willing to pass on a
purchase, search desperately for
a lender. When traditional, com
petitive loans and credit seem
unattainable, we dig deeper for
cash and even deeper in debt.
But river bottom loan dredging
comes with a high price tag. Pay
day loans have become an in
creasingly popular last resort
loan product.
Alternatively known as cash
advance loans, postdated check
loans, or delayed deposit checks,
payday loans will provide you
with the $lOO or $2OO you need
to get by until your next pay
check arrives. But what will it
cost you for this easy cash? Inter
est rates and/or fees from 250
percent annual percentage rate
(APR) on up.
With any loan, the proof is in
the interest rate. What then,
could possibly make a triple-digit
interest rate appealing?
“Consumers fail to see the in
terest through the loan, the
means to their end,” said Mark
Rosen of the Credit Counseling
Centers, Inc., whose staffers have
provided financial counseling to
thousands of consumers strug
gling with high-interest debt.
“I’m convinced that if they took
the time to do the math and con
sider their options, common fin
ancial sense would prevail.”
Equipped with the knowledge
that a two-week loan of $2OO at
500 percent APR would run
$38.36 in interest, a would-be
borrower might reconsider. Espe
cially when compared to borrow
ing the same $2OO for two weeks
at 36 percent ($2.76) or 12 per
cent ($.92). Further, many pay
day borrowers roll over or renew
loans repeatedly. In just 12
weeks that $2OO loan will cost
you more than $4OO to pay back.
Although payday loan lenders
must disclose the APR as part of
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seems to be the most widely ac
cepted, our craving for chocolate
may be attributed to a combina
tion of these theories.
Nutritionally, chocolate won’t
increase your cholesterol, but it
does contain calories. An over
abundance of calories from choc
olate can result in weight gain.
So, when you have that box of
chocolates near you, try to eat
just one piece per day. Good
Luck!
the Truth in Lending Act, many
customers are shocked to learn
what they’ve actually paid.
Convenience is another factor
that has given rise to payday
loans. According to the Consum
er Federation of America, typi
cally, approval is as simple as
writing a postdated check to a
check-casher for the amount one
wishes to borrow plus the fee.
So, if you would like to borrow
$lOO for two weeks, you would
write a personal check for $ll5.
This is an APR of 390 percent.
You and the check-casher both
understand that there are insuffi
cient funds in your account at
that time to clear the check. At
the end of two weeks, you can:
• Redeem the check with cash
or a money order;
• Allow the check to be depos
ited; or
• Renew, or roll over, the
loan, by paying an additional fee.
More often than not, you will
find yourself rolling the loan
over, gouging deeper into future
earnings.
In Pennsylvania, there are no
laws, per se, regulating the prac
tices of payday lenders. Until
there are, you should seek alter
natives that promise to better
their personal finances. The first
step to financial recovery begins
with your credit union, bank or a
credit counseling service. Credit
unions are especially proactive in
providing financial counseling
for their members.
The next time you find your
self lured towards a neon-lit,
fast-cash outlet, contact your
credit union or a credit counsel
ing service such as Myvesta.org ' 1
(formally Debt Counselors of
America®, 1-800-680-3328) or
Consumer Credit Counseling
Service (1-800-873-2227,
www.cccintl.org) instead. Ask
questions, gather information
and review your options. The
time you invest will reap a life
time of dividends.