Fur, fins and feathers get hungry at the fair, too

Remember Pavlov's dog? The scientist modified the dog's behavior by training him to salivate when he heard a bell. We're not so different from that dog. When we smell food, we salivate. When we see food, we reach for it, or at least for our wallet to pay for it. Never mind hunger. In fact, researchers have found that when large amounts of food are before us, we eat one-third more than we otherwise would. And they weren't even studying State Fair consumption. Animals, on the other hand, are smarter at mealtime, at least the ones Pavlov didn't train. They eat when they're hungry -- some might call it grazing -- and then they stop. And they stay away from cheese curds. Not a bad system for controlling weight. We should all be so wise.

LEE SVITAK DEAN