Finding comfort in colder temperatures.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

Do you find yourself with a craving for mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese as the weather gets colder? Psychologist Thomas F. Shipley, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., who teaches a class on food psychology, says there could be a connection between chillier air and our cravings for fattening foods. "Comfort foods are high in calories and it makes sense that we humans, like other mammals, would prepare for the cold months by increasing how much food we eat." Moreover, people may have seasonal affective disorder and eat foods that they associate with a more pleasant time. That...