Findings from a new University of Otago study potentially explain this theory, revealing that the way we think about food changes if we are hungry or full — not just whether we want food, but how vividly we can imagine it.
Associate Prof Mei Peng, of Otago’s Sensory Neuroscience and Nutrition Lab, said the university’s latest research into the area showed people’s thoughts around food were not random, but logical, and connected to the body.
They assembled a study group of 60 participants, and asked them to describe their thoughts about food. Half of the group did so on an empty stomach, the other half did so after breakfast.
‘‘It happens to all of us. We crave for something and when we think about food, or we’re hungry, there’s a specific food that we start kind of craving and think about.
‘‘So that led to us actually wanting to do something experimentally to see whether this metabolic state actually alters what we think about food.
‘‘So it’s a simple design, but what we were trying to see is whether people in the hunger stage would imagine flavour or texture more vividly — and it’s really interesting to see that we do.’’
This could lead to different behaviours when it comes to purchasing food at the supermarket, Assoc Prof Peng said.
‘‘When we’re hungry we actually do imagine food more vividly, and that could alter our food behaviour or our choices.
‘‘So when we’re not hungry and going to a supermarket we’ll probably choose things out of nutritional knowledge or our habits but when we’re hungry we’re definitely imagining the sensory satisfaction you could say out of the food. So, we could be more pleasure-driven I guess.’’
Research such as this made Assoc Prof Peng mindful of her own habits.
‘‘Sometimes when we are told not to imagine something that’s exactly the thing that you imagine. It’s particularly the case with food.
‘‘So I’m not sure if this research actually did a personal favour to myself but I do think to be aware of how this bodily function or metabolic state could have changed our thoughts about food, that’s definitely very interesting.’’
Overall, the study found that imagining food is easier, faster and more vivid when people are hungry, which could help to understand food cravings and eating behaviour.
The study, published in the journal Appetite, was part of a collaborative Marsden Fund-supported project between Otago and the University of Oxford.
