Study looks at food photos, appetites, and cravings

New research claims images of food, if viewed often enough, can help satisfy our cravings and diminish our desire to eat.

The research, conducted at Aarhus University in Denmark, examined the different ways our perceptions of food affect our cravings.

The results may be shocking to snack-makers and food manufacturers, who invest heavily in ads that are supposed to stimulate our hunger.

In one experiment, people were exposed to an online photo of orange M&M candies either three times or 30 times.

Participants who saw the image 30 times had less desire to eat M&Ms than those who saw only three images of the candies.

People who saw 30 images also said they would choose a smaller portion of M&Ms than the group that saw just three images.

“Your appetite is more closely linked with your cognitive perception than most of us think,” study lead Tjark Andersen, a Ph.D. candidate at Aarhus’ Department of Food Science said in a statement.

“How we think about our food is very important. You will receive a physiological response to something you have only thought about. That’s why we can feel fully satisfied without eating anything,” he added.

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