Nutrition scientists at Tufts University say it may be possible to train the brain to prefer healthful low-calorie foods over high-calorie edibles — a carrot, for example, over a Cheetos puff.

"We don't start out in life loving french fries and hating, for example, whole-wheat pasta," said Susan B. Roberts, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Energy Metabolism Laboratory. "This conditioning happens over time in response to eating — repeatedly — what is out there in the toxic food environment."

Scientists suspect that with years of bad food choices, consumers establish mental addiction circuits that are difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. To see whether it is possible, they tested groups of obese people and groups of people with normal weights in a new weight-loss/control program that included brain imaging and a reward system for behavioral changes.

They found that the people who effectively lost weight also displayed changes in the brain reward center associated with learning and addiction. In such cases, their brains showed an increased sensitivity for healthful foods, indicating a greater sense of reward and pleasure in consuming them.

"The weight loss program is specifically designed to change how people react to different foods, and our study shows those who participated in it had an increased desire for healthier foods along with a decreased preference for unhealthy foods, the combined effects of which are probably critical for sustainable weight control," said co-author Sai Krupa Das in a news release.

Body of Knowledge

Blood travels at about 0.7 mph. It takes 60 seconds for a drop of blood to circulate through the body.

Number Cruncher

A serving of Arby's mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce (137 grams) contains 365 calories, 164 from fat. It has 18.3 grams of total fat, or 28 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet, according to the Calorie Count database.

It also contains 42 milligrams of cholesterol (14 percent), 1,511 milligrams of sodium (63 percent), 31.6 grams of total carbohydrates (11 percent), 2.5 grams of dietary fiber (10 percent), 5 grams of sugar and 18.3 grams of protein.

Counts

50: percentage rise in food allergies among U.S. children between 1997 and 2011. Source: University of Chicago

Stories for the Waiting Room

Manufacturers of electronic cigarettes are quick to note their product does not emit many of the carcinogens found in burning tobacco, but a new study out of the University of Southern California suggests e-cigarette vapor contains much higher levels of nickel than normal cigarettes, and there's evidence of chromium, which isn't found in tobacco cigarettes at all.

Both nickel and chromium are toxic metals, as are lead and zinc, which were also found in e-cigarette vapor, though in lower concentrations than tobacco cigarettes.

"Our results demonstrate that overall electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, but their elevated content of toxic metals such as nickel and chromium (does) raise concerns," said study author Constantinos Sioutas.

Mania of the Week

Hexometromania: obsession with writing in hexameter.

Never Say Diet

The speed-eating record for chicken tamales is 47 (2.6 ounces each) in eight minutes, held by Stephanie Torres. (Interesting aside: Stephanie's nickname is "Xanadu," the name of an idealized place where eating 47 tamales does not increase one's waistline or odds of myocardial infarction.)

Medical History

This month in 1961, Drs. Daniel Nathan and David Spain published the first compelling statistical evidence linking heavy smoking with heart disease. They studied 3,000 men and found that those who smoked more than 40 cigarettes daily and were younger than 51 had double the chance of having coronary heart disease. The New York Times reported the news in a four-sentence article.

Epitaphs

"Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico." Headstone of San Francisco eccentric Joshua A. Norton (1819-80). Norton's self-proclaimed political powers were illusory, but he was treated deferentially by his humoring neighbors, and currency issued in his name was honored by establishments he frequented.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.