Food reward is something that I am finding increasingly interesting lately and I fully intend to write a post about my understanding of the issue (if only because writing these things out help me cement my understanding). Until then, this episode of the Healthy Skeptic podcast is worth listening to as an introduction to food reward. Interestingly, studies have shown that a diet restrictive in either fat or carbs lowers food reward, at least in the short-term, and produces a drop in weight. That is to say, low carb and low fat diets that do not count total calories and do not prescribe the sources of those macronutrients produce similar aesthetic changes. A diet that seeks to limit food reward (any diet that emphasizes whole foods and veggies, really) seems to be the most effective. It is much much more complicated than that, but as a man whose first diet was Atkins (age 20), I am a little surprised. I've always had trouble with carb intake, but even with Atkins, my weight dropped and then leveled off (also, Atkins is not a sustainable lifestyle). My greatest dietary successes have always been a result of (1) intense exercise at least 4 times a week and (2) high protein diets. Protein, mind you, has (a) the lowest food reward value of any macronutrient and (b) the highest thermal effect of food (I've read about 25%). Food for thought.