“Research shows that looking at food photos can make you feel fuller – Appetite Study”

Looking at a picture of food and imagining yourself eating it and then satisfying your appetite? Apparently this is possible, according to research. It would even make you feel fuller. It sounds absurd, but it just shows the power of our brain.

Researchers share their findings in the leaf Appetite. Participants had to indicate in advance how hungry they were. The scientists then showed the participants the same photo three or thirty times. On it was a bowl with one orange M&M. The subjects had to vividly imagine eating the M&M. Subsequently, the participants were asked again about their feeling of hunger.

Research on appetite and feeling full

Researcher Tjark Anderson explains scientific Sciences that the photo ultimately had an effect on the feeling of hunger. “Test subjects who had seen the same photo of food 30 times felt more satiated than before they had seen the photos.” Later, the participants were asked to choose from different servings of M&Ms. The subjects who had seen the photo thirty times ultimately opted for a smaller portion than those who had seen a photo three times.

Anderson emphasizes that appetite is often determined by our brain. According to the researchers, ‘thinking about food’ stimulates the same brain areas as when ‘consuming food’. Anderson explains that you get a physical reaction from something you simply thought about. “That’s why you can feel completely full without having eaten anything.”

View photo of food 30 times

However, the number of times you look at the image, and thus imagine yourself eating, appears to have an influence. The researchers conclude that a person needs to see a photo 30 times to feel more satiated. The power of repetition is therefore also important in this study.

Incidentally, the scientists found that the color of the M&Ms or the taste, they also replaced the M&Ms with Skittles, had an influence on the result. Ultimately, the researchers think that these results can be an addition to matters relating to nutrition and overweight. Did you know that your body works against diets? And that’s why so many diet attempts fail?

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