The Weekly Skinny: All the healthy news you need (9-18-09)

You know it can be hard to say 'no' to ice cream sometimes. But does the frozen treat actually control your brain? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Can ice cream really control your brain?
This may be worse than brain freeze - ice cream controlling our brains??? Scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center say fat from foods like ice cream and burgers goes to the brain and can control it. Their study shows once the fat molecules are there, they trigger the brain to send messages to the body's cells, warning them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from the hormones involved in regulating weight for up to three days.

Consumers eating up foods spiked with nutrients
Ever notice all the health claims on foods that you once thought of as junk food? A recent report finds even in a weak economy, people will pay top dollar for products they think will prevent a health problem or those that seem healthier than traditional empty-calorie snacks - things like sugary cereals that strengthen bones, candy disguised as granola bars with a tad of nutrients thrown in, and soft drinks with vitamins. Do you buy these "functional foods?"

Exercise adds years to life, even for octogenarians
Here's proof that it's never too late to get moving. A new report shows even in the "oldest old," a little exercise extends life by at least a few years for those in their mid- to late 80s. Researchers found the three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-year-olds compared with those who were not active. More than four hours of exercise a week was considered active.

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[photo credit: Getty Images]