Does the full moon have an impact on how much chocolate you eat?

Abstract
Our research project discusses chocolate cravings and how that is affected by the full moon. We will be giving out a survey, during each moon cycle, asking people about eating habits and chocolate cravings. After giving the survey, we will offer each participant a chocolate bar as compensation for doing our survey. We believe that the full moon will increase the desire for chocolate.

Introduction
As we observed the students’ eating habits in the Alexander dinning hall, we noticed that in addition to the chocolate yogurt, there was always another chocolate dessert made available. During certain times of the month, we noticed that the chocolate desserts were consumed at a much faster rate than other times. While we were conducting our moon labs, we wondered if there were connections between the cycle of the moon and human physiology. This prompted us to investigate the correlation between the phases of the Moon, and Western resident’s cravings for chocolate.

Therefore, we predict that during the full moon cycle, the chocolate cravings of the Western population will be heightened as compared to the other phases of the moon. We plan to survey Western students to see if their cravings for chocolate are affected by the full moon cycle. We hope that our sample will be an accurate representation of the Western college program. Due to our own passionate desires for the consumption of chocolate, we are interested in finding out whether the rest of the community has the same affinities for chocolate that we do. Due to our group’s mutual interest in the field of psychology, we were compelled to conduct an investigation on cravings.

Relevant Article Research
Chocolate is the single most craved food in the United States. It is appealing because of aroma, creaminess, and flavor. Strict dieting or food deprivation can intensify these cravings for chocolate. Researchers believe chocolate cravings have something to do with seratonine, a brain chemical that makes people feel relaxed. A decrease in seratonine levels leads to these cravings for starches and sweet foods like chocolate. In contrast to seratonine, endorphin levels appear to be affected by dietary fat. Endorphins are believed to be ‘feel-good’ neuro transmitters. Thus, it has been suggested that eating fat containing foods, like chocolate, might increase endorphins and lift a person’s mood to make them feel good.

Many times people want chocolate in times of stress, anxiety, pain, etc. This is why chocolate is known to be a natural analgesic or painkiller. As some chocolate cravings are induced by stress, they are probably governed by body chemistry therefore it is uncontrollable. Researchers also say chocolate contains substances that might mimic the effects of marijuana. Thus, chocolate boosts your pleasure from eating it. Piomelli, a researcher, found that chocolate contains anandamide, which is also produced naturally in the brain and activates the same target, that marijuana does. Chocolate is a source of energy that has the ability to make other nutritionally superior foods taste better.

One study was conducted to compare the frequency and pattern of chocolate consumption in male and female university students. This study found that consumption was dependent on a person’s origin, age, and sex. It is also dependent on the seasons of the year. Also revealed in this study was that the frequency of chocolate consumption was similar in males as compared to females. It is a general opinion that females consume more chocolate than males. Though, in fact, females indeed consume more chocolate (2074.9 k cal/day vs. 225.7 k cal/day) and more frequently than males. Also, more females than males, in this experiment, experienced chocolate cravings and would be upset if chocolate became non-existent. In this study there was also a strong link found between the menstrual cycle and chocolate consumption. 76.9% of females experienced food cravings, the majority (82%) a few days before their period, and the most craved food being chocolate.

Materials and Methods
In order to test our hypothesis, we plan to distribute a survey to Western students during each lunar cycle to calculate the cravings for chocolate. Each member of our team will distribute the survey to 10 different people in our respective corridors, once during each cycle of the moon. The survey will be uniformly passed out between the hours of 7 and 9 P.M. The sample group will remain the same each time the survey is distributed. With the presence of a positive re-enforcer, the chocolate reward, the participants are more compelled to answer the survey honestly and continue to participate the next time the survey is issued.

Date________
The Chocolate Survey

1. Are you male or female?
female male

2. Do you consume chocolate on a daily basis?
yes no

3. Do you enjoy eating chocolate?
yes! somewhat no

4. Are you currently on a diet?
yes no

5. If you answered yes to the previous question would you please specify what your diet is made up of (check the box next to the item(s) that your diet includes)?

sugars and carbohydrates caffeine other (specify)
coffee tea oils and fats salads Proteins vegetarian vegan

6. Are you allergic to chocolate or possess any medical conditions that would prohibit chocolate consumption?
yes no if yes specify _____________

7. Are you at all motivated to eat a piece of chocolate while filling out this survey?
yes no

8. Have you eaten chocolate yet today?
yes no

9. Have you eaten more chocolate this week than the last?
yes no

Data Table:
1. Are you male or female?
Male 25
Female 35

2. Do you consume chocolate on a daily basis?
Yes 21
No 39

3. Do you enjoy eating chocolate?
Yes 44
Somewhat 10
No 6

4. Are you currently on a diet?
Yes 2
No 58

5. If you answered yes to the previous question would you please specify what your diet is made up of (check the box next to the item(s) that your diet includes)?
Sugars and Carbohydrates
Oils and Fats
Proteins
Coffee
Tea
Salads
Vegetarian
Vegan
Other

6. Are you allergic to chocolate or possess any medical condition that would prohibit chocolate consumption?
Yes 5
No 55

7. Are you at all motivated to eat a piece of chocolate while filling out this survey?
Full 1 New Waxing Full 2
Yes 33 27 32 33
No 27 33 28 27

8. Have you eaten chocolate yet today?
Full 1 New Waxing Full 2
Yes 32 39 42 34
No 28 21 18 26

9. Have you eaten more chocolate this week than the last?
Full 1 New Waxing Full 2
Yes 23 25 30 27
No 37 35 30 33

Results
In our research we found information on phases of the moon and chocolate cravings, although we found no research correlating the two. After combining each group member’s data into one composite, we then transferred the data into Stat View. Statistical regression graphs were used to compare how gender relates to the full, new, and waxing moon. These were done so we could visualize the negative regression slope and the mean in each of the sampled moon phases.

Discussion and Conclusion
Although our research showed there may be a connection between the lunar phases and chocolate cravings there were outside factors that may have influenced our results. We believe the most significant outside factor on our results was stress. This goes back to our earlier research. In the week of midterms we believe people may have eaten more chocolate due to stress. Our lab was also performed during the same week as Halloween, a holiday in which people consume more chocolate than they normally do. We also recognized that the connection with the menstral cycle and chocolate cravings may have also been a factor, but that was personal to ask our subjects.

We proved that our hypothesis was incorrect. The results showed no correlation between the lunar phases and chocolate cravings. By looking over our results, we saw there was a correlation between the negative slope and the mean of the new moon phase and our second full moon phase. The same held true with the first full moon and the waxing moon. Since the full moon had data similar to the new and waxing moon, we conclude that the full moon can produce similar results to other lunar phases.

Having built upon research from two different areas, research concerning the moon as well as research devoted to chocolate consumption, we attempted to see if there was a correlation between the two ideas. If the test could have been performed for a longer duration of time and with more subjects, we think our results may have varied. Therefore, if circumstances had permitted we possibly would have examined how the menstral cycles of our female subjects may have affected their chocolate cravings for each survey period. If we were able to do the project over we would add to the survey and ask the subject how stressed they were.

Literature Cited
Chocolate and Cravings. Chocolate Manufacturers Association,
http://www.candyusa.org/choccrav.html

Ciampa, Linda. Give Into Your Cravings. CNN. Febuary, 14 1996.
http://cnn.com/HEALTH/indepth.food/sweets/chocolate.cravings/

Moon Phase Calendar htttp://www.googol.com/moon/

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