Imagination Curbs Food Cravings
Baku, December 11 (AZERTAC). Carnegie Mellon University may have discovered the next diet trend—and all you have to do is think to lose weight.
According to Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor of social and decision sciences, new research shows that when people imagine eating a certain food, it decreases their chances of consuming it. The discovery goes against the common idea that avoiding thoughts about food will curb cravings.
"It`s not just thinking about a food — the sight, taste, smell, context," Morewedge said. "It`s imagining consuming it that decreases the food desire.
The study revolved about participants in a control group who were told to imagine inserting 33 quarters into a laundry machine—simulating the action of popping M&M`s into one`s mouth. A second group was told to imagine inserting 30 quarters into a laundry machine and then imagine eating three M&Ms, while a third group imagined inserting three quarters into the machine and imagined eating 30 M&Ms.
When presented with a bowl of the chocolate candy, the third group ate significantly fewer than people who didn`t imagine eating the M&Ms
Paul Rozin, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, tells pittsburghlive.com the study reveals how the interconnectedness of thoughts and actions may help curb obesity.
“I think what this shows is a point generally new to modern psychology that thoughts and actions overlap in certain ways -- that there is the same process involved in thinking about doing it and doing it," Rozin said, “This could play into something that might help people eat less."
Researchers also stated that the reduction in consumption was caused by habituation, where a stimulus is less desired after repeated exposure over time.
In any case, the results of the study are crystal clear—next time you want a donut, just imagine eating a box full first.
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