WW Article By: Sandra Gordon

Do your chocolate (or potato chip, or French fry) cravings have control? Find out what your must-have-now urges mean and what you can do to keep them under wraps.

Cravings—those intense desires to eat a particular food, strong enough that you may go out of your way to get it—are complex urges that some 97 percent of women and 68 percent of men experience, according to a survey conducted at Canada’s McMaster University in Ontario.

Does a craving mean your body lacks a particular nutrient in the food you’re longing for, such as the iron in red meat? Researchers don’t yet know the answer to that.

“But we do know there are strong psychological components to food cravings,” says clinical psychologist Susan Head, PhD. “A craving can mean you’re being too restrictive, and that it might be a good idea to start planning on eating more foods you enjoy,” says Head. “Cravings can also be emotional,” she says. Your food craving may be triggered by negative feelings, such as stress, anxiety, anger, guilt and low self-worth.

“Such feelings often make people crave certain foods, since food tends to be associated with pleasure,” says Head. Some cravings might even be spurred on by happy feelings. Has celebrating with friends and family ever made you want to eat?

Curbing Your Cravings
So your number one crave controller is to identify where it’s coming from. But that doesn’t mean that if a big craving comes along you can’t satisfy it. Try these top tactics.

Distract It.
When you notice a craving setting in, try to find something else to think about. Take a walk, listen to your favorite CD, browse your favorite Web site. Just set your mind to something else. If that doesn’t work and after 10 to 15 minutes your craving’s still kicking, move on.

Fake it.
Try eating the lowest-fat, lowest-calorie variety of the item you’re craving. If you find yourself wanting sweets like chocolate, for example (a frequently-craved food, according to studies), opt for nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt instead of chocolate cake. If you’re prone to over-doing it, however, don’t bring the coveted food into the house, no matter how low-fat or fat-free it is. Instead, go out for your frozen yogurt and order a single-serving cone or cup.

Feed it.
If faking it doesn’t work for you—say you’re still craving something truly decadent, such as peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a burger—go out and get some. Just order from the kid’s menu.

Dig deeper.
If cravings linger, dig deeper to get at the root of them. Have you been too restrictive? If you suspect so, plan it differently, including more variety and more foods you enjoy. Is there something going on in your life that’s making you anxious, angry or stressed? If that’s the case, face the issue head on. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming meeting at work, do your best to prepare for it. By being proactive and making yourself aware of why you may be craving a certain food, your desire for it may abate.