How To Resist Tempting Food
If you encounter the enticing scent of fried foods when you enter a restaurant, and then hold off ordering for two minutes or more, you’re more likely to choose a healthier option, according to research from the University of South Florida College of Business. Marketing professor Dipayan Biswas, Ph.D. found that the scent of food “can be a powerful tool to resist cravings” by exposing children and adults to the smell of healthy and unhealthy foods. He reports that these study participants exposed to the smell of cookies for less than 30 seconds were more likely to want a cookie. But those exposed for longer than two minutes chose strawberries instead of cookies. Results were the same when he tested the scents of pizza and apples. “Ambient scent can be a powerful tool to resist cravings for indulgent foods. In fact, subtle sensory stimuli like scents can be more effective in influencing…food choices than restrictive policies,” he maintained.
Source:
Dipayan Biswas and Courtney Szocs, “The Smell of Healthy Choices: Cross-Modal Sensory Compensation Effects of Ambient Scent on Food Purchases,” Journal of Marketing Research, January 24, 2019, doi.org/10.1177/0022243718820585
Also in this week’s bulletin:
- Blood Pressure And Your Brain
- Work Stress And Women’s Weight
- This week’s recipe: Spaghetti Squash Casserole
