STOP Feeling Guilty About Your Chocolate Obsession, Says Science

Ok, we have a confession to make. We love us some rich, soft, deep, dark chocolate cake. Butter-cream frosting, ganache, caramel...excuse us for getting a little hot under the collar. But, in a world where many of our coworkers compare juice cleanses as casually as they talk about their weekend plans, it's not difficult to develop an unhealthy relationship with those indulgences we love so much. Of course, feeling guilty about our cravings (and our "slip-ups") is basically a given.

Turns out, science has found quite a compelling reason for us to abandon our guilt, for good. Researchers at the University of Canterbury conducted a study in which they asked 300 adults of various ages whether they associated chocolate cake with celebration or guilt. Survey says 73% of subjects chose celebration, while the other 27% went with guilt.

The researchers then asked participants about their eating habits and nutritional goals, and found that those who associated the cake with guilt had the same attitudes towards healthy eating as the other group. However, the guilt group was more likely to report issues with self-control — and a follow-up to the study showed that they were less likely to be successful at losing weight than those in the celebration group.

While the weight-loss finding is interesting, we're more concerned about the other implications of this study. If food guilt really does undermine our efforts to make healthy choices, as this research suggests, it's even more important to embrace a lifestyle that actively avoids any sort of judgmental attitudes towards our eating habits. We don't know about you, but we're having a big slice of cake tonight. (The Huffington Post)