Brain's Willpower Spot Found When healthy eaters choose broccoli
over a Butterfinger, they use a small region in their brains
that indulgers don't use. That bundle of cells is a clue to the
biology of willpower, a new study finds. Like a wagging finger
in our heads, the region admonishes us to consider long-term
benefits over instant rewards when we make decisions. "This is
the first time people have looked at the mechanism of self-
control in people who are making real-life decisions," said Todd
Hare, a Caltech neuroscientist who led the study. To zero in on
the nodule that imposes willpower, Hare and his colleagues
scanned the brains of 37 people who called themselves dieters.
During the scans, the subjects pored over 50 photos of foods.
They rated the foods according to taste and healthiness. Some
foods, such as Wheat Thins and granola, earned strong "neutral"
marks in both categories. For the final test, scientists showed
each volunteer a food that they had labeled "neutral" and asked
them to choose betwee