"(They) showed them pictures of a ... chocolate milk shake, and then the very unappetizing saliva-like solution, a glass of it. And really looked at where their brains lit up.

 

"What they found was the people who had the high activation score when they looked at the chocolate milk shake, the area in their brain known as the rewards center, really lit up.

 

"When they actually consumed the milk shake," Ashton continued, "what they found was the areas in their brain that are responsible for our inhibition control to tell us, 'OK, slow down,' that's the part that really got stimulated. So, again, this all really is ongoing research about how our brains react to reward and fulfillment of that reward.

 

Interestingly, Ashton noted, the study "didn't find any correlation between body mass index and these high food activation or addiction scales. So, again, this doesn't necessarily mean that, if you have this area in your brain light up to food stimulus, that you're going to be obese. And we have to remember, not all addicted behaviors are necessarily bad for you. People can be addicted to exercise and that's not always a bad thing."