Calorie restriction tied to endocrine changes by MIT scientists

I've been reading quite a bit lately between the links recently found between caloric restriction and longer lifespans. Is it all a joke or it there some truth to this? According to MIT biologists, that link may lie in the head more than in the things you consume.

A study cited by these biologists attempts to explain this unknown "eat less, live longer" phenomenon and found that altering caloric intake in ordinary roundworms ended up changing the endocrine function of those creatures, and in turn changed the hormonal balance needed for normal metabolism. Until now, no connection between endocrine functioning and calorie restriction had been found.

The MIT biologists concluded that neurons in the head of studied worms (which are, umm, far from humans) led to longevity changes instead of the actual process of consuming less nutrition. Could the processes inside our own minds someday lead to longer lifespans instead of eating less? That remains to be seen -- or thought about.