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Breaking it.

it. The reason is that in the ancient natural world, the only we take advantage of any high-calorie opportunities.

Free of the lights around were the moon and the stars (against the dark
night sky), and flying toward these lights was useful. The
moon and stars are at “optical infinity” — you can never
Scientific studies conducted over the last decade have
concluded that our brains release greater concentrations
of pleasure chemicals (dopamine and natural opiates) when

Dietary get there — so they are effectively stationary objects in the


sky at any moment in time. This makes them very useful
as points of reference for the internal compasses of moths,
the food we eat is of greater caloric density. This should
be no surprise. There must be a reason that we like a ripe
apple better than a tart one — and there is. When you eat

Pleasure who can make great use of the fixed light. By flying toward
the light, a moth can get above the present fray, and take
a peek around for food and mates. Then, after an enticing
a ripe apple, your calorie detection equipment knows that
there is a good caloric concentration there — and says
“good, keep eating!” A tart apple, maybe 10 percent less

Trap foray is complete, the moth can return to its original po-
sition by reversing the angles in its head, and following
the reverse path home — using celestial objects as a guide.
caloric, is discarded. One apple might be 77 calories, the
other merely 70. That seven calorie difference is detectible
— and your taste preferences let you know it!
So now we can see where the mistakes are being made.
When moths are flying toward human-manufactured
A White-Hot Light
A chocolate apple, though, would be about 770 calories —
lights, they do so because artificial lights fool their inter-
at the same size. That’s because chocolate is about ten times
nal compasses. If the light is safely encased in glass, the
more caloric than fruit! Talk about a white-hot light! The
moth simply backs away in confusion upon bumping the
same tendency is there in all modern processed foods —
glass, and then circles around and flies toward the light
chips are about eight times as caloric as fruit. Bread and
again — and again and again. Its internal compass is great
hot dogs are about six times as calorie dense. And like
— but it fails this time. It’s never supposed to reach the
moths to the light, we are all drawn to this caloric density
light — and by doing so, it’s all messed up. And if the light
like iron filings to a big magnet. We need to resist. For our
is a hot candle or light, the moth might even die. It isn’t
health and well being, we must.
suicide. It’s a contrived accident.
If you are holding a copy of Health Science Breaking Free
magazine, and know what it is all about, then The Right Question Breaking free from the dietary pleasure trap (or any ad-
If we asked the question “What is it about moths that
you are one of the lucky ones. Of the 300 makes them self-destructive?”, we would be asking the
diction) can be very difficult. For those individuals who
million people who live in our country, most find the challenge overwhelming, a residential approach
wrong question. Our question, as framed above, innocently
that may include an intense program of education and a
will spend their whole lives confused about Douglas Lisle, Ph.D. and Alan Goldhamer, D.C. leaps to the conclusion that moths are self-destructive. Of
period of supervised water-only fasting has often proven
what is good for them, and what isn’t. If you course, it looks like they are. But when we ask the right
to be extremely helpful.
question, and answer it, the mystery disappears. The right
are one of the fortunate few who has a good question is: “Why do moths fly toward light?” Once we
feel for the truth about health, then you are know, we can put away all talk about self-destructive
more than halfway there. The Strange Behavior of Moths in the Night tendencies in moths.
Alan Goldhamer, D.C., is the founder of
The problem is, knowing is only

H
ave you ever taken a few moments to stare Why Good Eating Habits are Such a Challenge TrueNorth Health Center in California. He is
about half of the battle. The other at moths banging into your porch light? This health thing is hard — no doubt about it. In the 25 a member of the Board of Directors and a Life
Why do they keep circling and flying into a Member of the National Health Association.
half of the journey is pretty tough. years that we have dedicated to helping others get on track,
Dr. Goldhamer is the author of the Health
dangerous light? And more chilling still… or back on track, we have witnessed this mighty struggle.
Just knowing doesn’t quite get it done why do they sometimes fly right into a can-
Promoting Cookbook and co-author of The
Why is it hard? We now see that we better ask the right Pleasure Trap.
all by itself. For some reason, even after we dle or hot light that zaps them dead? It seems incredibly question before we try to answer it. We think the question
know just what to do, there is a tendency to go stupid, so why do they do it? “Why do people prefer foods with artificially high calorie
ahead and do self-destructive things anyway. If Maybe moths are mysteriously self-destructive for some density to healthier, low-calorie density foods?” When
deep, dark, and complex reasons. But we doubt it. We framed this way, the question has a sensible answer. Douglas J. Lisle, Ph.D., is a licensed psy-
we listen to a pop-psychology show, we might think there must be another reason, and one that makes chologist. He is the Director of Research at
People evolved in environmental circumstances where
hear all sorts of dark and complex speculation perfect sense. calories were scarce. This we know, as it was true all over
TrueNorth Health Center and is in private
practice in Rohnert Park, California. Dr. Lisle
about why people are often self-destructive. There is. the world just 100 years ago, and it is even still true in many is the co-author of The Pleasure Trap.
But doubt any of it is right. We think there are places. Calories have always been in short supply, or at
reasons for "self-destructive" behavior that Why They Do What They Do least very often, in human history. So nature made sure
Moths, it turns out, are designed to fly towards light. They that we came equipped with taste preference machinery
make perfect sense. Please visit www.healthpromoting.com for more information or
have built within them a natural compulsion to fly toward built into us — like an internal compass — to make sure contact Drs. Goldhamer and Lisle at (707) 586-5555.

10 H E A LT H S C I E N C E ■ SPRING 2007 NATIONAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION NATIONAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION H E A LT H S C I E N C E ■ SPRING 2007 11

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