Between commercials on TV and ads online, we’re constantly being bombarded with pictures of food. Many of these images are used by advertisers to sell specific foods, and the idea is that seeing the picture of pizza, burgers or ice cream will make us hungry for it. But new research reveals the images can actually have the opposite effect.
A new study from Denmark looks into the different ways our perceptions of food affect our cravings. Their research finds that seeing pictures of the same food repeatedly can satisfy our cravings and curb our desire to eat. In a series of experiments involving M&Ms and Skittles candies, the more participants saw pictures of them, the less they wanted to eat them.
Researchers conclude that we can get a sense of feeling full after seeing the same image of food 30 times. So how could we feel full without actually eating anything? Study author Tjark Andersen says the way we think about food has a big impact on our appetite. “Your appetite is more closely linked with your cognitive perception than most of us think,” he explains. “You will receive a physiological response to something you have only thought about.”
Source: NY Post