“The Impact of Repeatedly Seeing Food Pictures on Appetite: A Study by Aarhus University”

At least, that’s the conclusion of a new study published in Appetite magazine. Scientists from the Department of Food Science at Aarhus University in Denmark investigated the impact of seeing pictures of food, both when subjects were shown the picture 3 times and when they saw the picture 30 times.

The result? Those who saw the photo 3 times noticed no difference in their appetite. Those who saw the photo 30 times, on the other hand, ended up feeling more satisfied. When they were offered a smaller and a larger portion of M&Ms, they opted for the smaller portion. According to Tjark Anderson, one of the authors of the study, appetite is mainly related to our brain. Thinking about food stimulates the same areas in our brain as when we actually eat food, which explains the feeling of satiety.