It may be bad for the waistline, but comfort food is good for the soul Comfort food may be bad for the waistline but it is good for the soul, say researchers. A study found that even thinking about mashed potato, chicken soup or chocolate pudding can combat loneliness. It is thought that we choose certain foods when the going gets tough because they remind us of happier times, including childhood meals and family holidays.
我们都知道，儿时学的成语“画饼充饥”的意思是：画个饼来解除饥饿。比喻用空想来安慰自己。特别是用来欺骗别人，并有“自欺欺人”的含义。然而，随着科学越来越发达，针对美食与心理学之间的研究成果越来越多，好事的科学家们竟然得出结论：画饼充饥并非用来形容自欺欺人用“空想”来安慰自己。据悉，专家证实，空想美食（比如鸡汤、巧克力布丁、土豆泥等等）都能达到“排解寂寞”以及身心健康的目的。结论解释，当我们处在焦虑的状态中，我们倘若能“意念”凭空想象一下美食的样子，这种美好的行为可以促发我们想起欢乐的时候，包括童年生活以及家庭其乐融融的景象。

In an attempt to make a group of volunteers feel lonely, the U.S. researchers asked them to write about a row with someone close to them. Some then wrote about eating a comfort food while others wrote about eating a new food. Finally, participants answered questions about their levels of loneliness. Those who were generally secure in their relationships were able to rescue themselves from loneliness by writing about a comfort food, the journal Psychological Science reports.
在针对一群志愿者的调查中美国研究人员发现，当要求志愿者写下最希望和亲密的朋友做什么事情才不孤单时（来测试他们对孤独的反映，孤单程度），很多人写到：享用美食、或者尝试新的食物。科学家认为，那些在两性关系中处于比较稳固状态的人，会通过写出与朋友分享美食来度过孤独的时光，这项研究发表在《心理科学》期刊上

University of Buffalo researcher Jordan Troisi said: ‘It seems comfort food is a sort of ready-made easy resource for remedying a sense of loneliness.’ Cure to loneliness? Certain foods make us remember better times
来自布法罗大学的研究员Jordan Troisi 说：“美食的效果很神奇，它可以唤醒人们对生活的美好的记忆，不失为戒除孤单的一种良药。”