Why We May Be Different: Gourmet Syndrome

From Mark Kurlansky "On Gourmets" (found in his very amusing collection of essays and tidbits, Choice Cuts):

I wonder: Are people who spend all their time meticulously dissecting a physical pleasure far from needing a twelve-step program? In 1997 the American Academy of Neurology announced the discovery of something called gourmet syndrome: "a new eating disorder in which some patients with right anterior brain lesions suddenly become compulsively addicted to thinking about and eating fine foods." In this study of 723 patients with brain lesions, 36 were observed becoming gourmets, and of those, 34 were found to have lesions in the right anterior part of the brain.

Didn't Jeffrey Steingarten cover this in one of his books? Flew out to europe to be tested by the doctors doing the research?

My memory is that he didn't have gourmet syndrome, he just liked to eat.

I'm perfectly willing to admit it: I like to eat.

I'm willing to admit to a few brain lesions.

No I'm not!

Yes I am!

-ramon

Maybe those dullards who are so insensible to their food lack the healthy, positive brain lesions they need.

Previous discussion:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... 2584eba7d6

nr706 wrote:Previous discussion:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... 2584eba7d6

nr,

Thanks for reminding me of that discussion. Interestingly (at least to me), Kurlansky refers to it as "gourmet" syndrome and the article you link to refers to it as "gourmand" syndrome. There IS a difference (as Kurlansky, who does speak French, knows).

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:There IS a difference (as Kurlansky, who does speak French, knows).

Which puts me in mind of.

A gourmet is just a glutton with brains.
-P.W. Haberman, Jr.