Health
Obesity, women and immediate gratification
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 1, 2008
When given the option of receiving $25,000 now or $50,000 months or years later, women with a body mass index higher than 30 are more likely than those who are of a normal weight to opt for having the smaller amount sooner, according to a study in the November Appetite. No difference was found between obese and normal-weight men.
"The finding ... may be tapping into a trait that is a factor leading to development of obesity in women," wrote authors from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Researchers administered a questionnaire including various hypothetical situations to 95 men and women. Participants could choose various rewards from $1,000 to $50,000 to be received immediately or up to 10 years later. Obese women tended to be more impulsive, even when differences in IQ and income were taken into account.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/01/hlbf1201.htm.
