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Faculty Experts
Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Expertise:
psychology
nutrition
Contact:
michael.lowe@drexel.edu
215.553.7116
Hedonic Hunger and the Science of Why We Can’t Stop Eating
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor, and Stephanie Manasse, PhD, an assistant research professor in the Center for Weight, Eating and Lifestyle Science (WELL Center), both in the College of Arts and Sciences, were quoted in a March 3 WebMD magazine article about hedonic eating, the urge to consume pleasurable foods even when not hungry, and binge eating, when a person consumes a large amount of food quickly repeatedly.
The Coronavirus Has Made Work Friends More Important Than Ever: 6 Tips For Building Relationships
A 2018 study led by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, suggesting that people are more likely to succeed at a difficult tasks if they are aware of the difficulty, was mentioned in a March 22 Forbes article about maintaining work friendships to ensure success while working remotely due to the pandemic.
Start Saying 1 Thing to Your Kids More Often, and Science Says They Will Be Much More Successful
A 2018 study led by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was mentioned in an Oct. 10 Inc. article about a counterintuitive method for parents to help their children succeed at difficult tasks. The study suggests that people are more likely to succeed at a difficult task if they are aware of the difficulty, despite the desire to downplay challenges.
Keep your Fatphobia out of Food Deserts
A 2013 study of restricted eating being a predictor of weight gain by Michael Lowe, PhD, psychology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was mentioned in an Aug. 15 Medium article about the focus of studies on BMI in food deserts, instead of finding solutions for the food desert issue.
Is Getting ‘Hangry’ Actually a Thing?
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Aug. 29 Wall Street Journal story about whether irritability can be the direct result of low blood sugar.
Losing Weight is Hard. Here's One Way to Make it Easier.
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in Feb. 2 stories in Medical News Today and Men’s Fitness about his new research that studied three weight loss interventions and their effects on cognitive restraint.
Does Exercise Work? Why Losing Weight in the New Year Will be Harder Than You Think
A study by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, which found that consistent weight loss can be effective for long-term health outcomes was mentioned in a Dec. 31 Newsweek story.
Desperate to Get Trim for Christmas? Why You Will End Up Fatter if You Lose Weight Too Fast
A 2017 study by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, about consistent weight loss and long-term health outcomes, was mentioned in a Nov. 8 Daily Mail story about how to lose weight this holiday season.
When it Comes to Weight Loss, Consistency May be Key to Success
A new study by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, which found that dropping a consistent number of pounds each week was linked to greater long-term weight loss outcomes, was featured in Aug. 29 stories by CBS News, Forbes, New York Daily News, MinnPost, the Independent, International Business Times, Yahoo! Style, CBS Boston and Psych Central. The research was also featured in news segments on dozens of NBC local affiliate stations, including KVOA-TV (Tuscan, Arizona), WAVE-TV (Louisville, Kentucky) and KAUT-TV (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).
Consistency is Key for Weight Loss, Study Says
A study by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, which found that weight variability during the first few weeks of a weight loss program negatively affects long-term outcomes, was featured in Aug. 28 stories on CNN.com, Consumer Reports, HealthDay, HuffPost United Kingdom, Medical News Today, the Daily Mail, and the Australian.
Study Links Daily Check-ins to Weight Loss, but Does the Scale Tell the Whole Story?
Diane Rosenbaum, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Aug. 6 Philly Voice story about her recent study that found that female college-age students who weigh themselves regularly saw a greater drop in body mass index and body fat. Meghan Butryn, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, also contributed to the study.
Eating Clean is Useless
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a July 14 story in Vice’s Tonic about how eating “clean” does not necessarily lead to weight loss.
Working Out to Lose Weight? Think Again
A study conducted by Meghan Butryn, PhD, a research assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College, about college women and their motivations to exercise, was featured in a Dec. 5 USA Today College story.
How Sugar and Fat Trick the Brain into Wanting More Food
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Scientific American article on Jan. 1 about eating and hunger. The story was also picked up by Salon.com.
How Sugar and Fat Trick the Brain Into Wanting More Food
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in Scientific American about junk food’s effect on the brain.
'Apple'-Shaped Women More At-Risk For Binge Eating, Drexel Study Finds
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed onWHYY/Newsworks.org on Nov. 27 about a study he co-authored on body image and disordered eating.
What Your Body Shape Tells You About Your Risk for Eating Disorder
A study on body fat distribution and disordered eating by Laura Berner, PhD, a former doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured on Health.com on Nov. 20.
The Way to a Woman's Heart
Research by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and his former doctoral student Alice Ely, about the correlation between eating and responding to romantic cues, was discussed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, on Sept. 16 on his syndicated radio show.
Way into a Woman's Heart Also Through her Stomach
Research by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and his former doctoral student Alice Ely, about the correlation between eating and responding to romantic cues, continues to be featured in numerous outlets, including CNN.com, The Daily Mail and CNET.com. The story also was picked up by numerous TV stations, including KYW-TV (CBS-3).
Hungry Women Less Interested in Love: Study
Research by Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, about the correlation between a woman’s hunger and romance, was mentioned in an Aug. 11 New York Daily News article, which referenced a TIME story about the research.
Plates get 'Smart' Through Object Recognition
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a story on WHYY radio (91-FM)’s “The Pulse” on May 15 about a new “smart plate” technology that claims to help people track their food consumption.
Is it Always Unhealthy to be Fat?
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WHYY’s "Radio Times" on April 21 about obesity and health.
Eating Disorders Linked to Extra Weight in Youth, Drexel Researchers Find
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was interviewed on WHYY/Newsworks.org on March 11 regarding his new research finding that elevated weight during childhood may increase susceptibility to eating disorders.
WHY DO WE EAT, AND WHY DO WE GAIN WEIGHT?
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a NewYorker.com article on April 10 about his research and other insights on why people eat and gain weight.
Missing the signs in a boy's eating disorder
Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article on Jan. 12 about eating disorders in boys.
Why we just can’t help finishing off a box of Pringles
Dr. Michael Lowe, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a Telegraph (UK) article on September 8 about the desire to eat high-fat foods.
Nudged to the Produce Aisle by a Look in the Mirror
Dr. Michael Lowe, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a New York Times story on August 28 about grocery stores’ efforts to use psychological tools to change people’s healthy shopping choices.
Dieting: Villain or Scapegoat? Research Reevaluates Weight Loss Dieting
For decades, there has been an accepted definition of dieting in academia, and in society as a whole. Michael Lowe, PhD, a professor in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has recently reevaluated the decades of dieting research to redefine the way researchers and the public define – and therefore understand - dieting and the culture of weight loss.
To Improve Self-Control, Call Weight Loss What It Is: Difficult
Painting a realistic picture of the challenges of weight loss can lead to greater long-term outcomes, a new study from a Drexel psychologist shows.
Consistency May Be Key to Long-Term Weight Loss
When it comes to losing weight, it’s not necessarily slow, but steady, that wins the race, according to new research from Drexel psychologists.
Have an Apple-Shaped Body? You May Be More Susceptible to Binge Eating
Women with apple-shaped bodies – those who store more of their fat in their trunk and abdominal regions – may be at particular risk for the development of eating episodes during which they experience a sense of “loss of control,” according to a new study from Drexel University. The study also found that women with greater fat stores in their midsections reported being less satisfied with their bodies, which may contribute to loss-of-control eating.
Elevated Childhood Weight May Increase Risk of Eating Disorders
A group of researchers at Drexel University suggest that actual elevations in body mass during childhood may play a much bigger role in the development of disordered eating than previously thought.
Past Weight Loss an Overlooked Factor in Disordered Eating
Due to a complex and vicious cycle of biological and behavioral factors, dieters and weight loss researchers know, the more weight you’ve lost, the harder it is to keep it off. But eating disorder research has largely overlooked this influence, and Dr. Michael Lowe, a professor of psychology at Drexel University, has published a flurry of research studies showing that needs to change.
Do Women with Bulimia Have Both an Eating Disorder and a Weight Disorder?
Researchers at Drexel University have found that a majority of women with bulimia nervosa reach their highest-ever body weight after developing their eating disorder, despite the fact that the development of the illness is characterized by significant weight loss.