2023-06-09 12:22:02
June 09, 2023
Often an image of food arouses hunger. But according to Danish researchers, observing the same photo, several times, would have the opposite effect and give the impression of being full. A technique that could be used to lose weight.
Being satisfied without eating anything! While the idea may sound strange, scientists from Aarhus University (Denmark) reveal why it’s plausible and how it could be used for weight loss. In fact, according to them, this is quite natural. ” The way we think about our food is very important “, they explain. ” Our appetite is more closely linked to our cognitive perception than we think. »
So much for the theory. But how to put it into practice? The researchers recruited 1,000 participants and showed them a picture of orange M&M’s. Some have seen the image three times, others 30 times. ” We observed that when participants saw the same image of food 30 times, they felt fuller than before seeing the image. »
This comes as no surprise to Tjark Andersen, the main author of this work. According to him, in this case, you get a physiological response to something you’ve only been thinking about. This is why we can feel full without eating anything. This is called grounded cognition theory. For example, if you imagine putting your teeth into a juicy apple, the same areas of the brain will be stimulated as if you were actually biting into an apple. »
A technique to lose weight
Since the 1970s, the number of overweight or obese people has steadily increased worldwide. That’s where Tjark Andersen’s results come in. While he acknowledges that the internet and social media can be a contributing factor to being overweight, he hopes they could help with weight loss: ” Imagine a food ordering app. Looking for pizza. You open the app. And while you’re making your choice, lots of pictures of pizza pop up while you imagine yourself eating it. That way you might get a feeling of fullness and maybe just stop wanting your pizza. “, he explains.
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