Study Says Smelling Junk Food Can Fight Cravings For It
Sooooo smelling unhealthy food will make you want healthy food?
Have you ever been around someone who is on a diet and they ask to smell your unhealthy food? Well, as it turns out, there may be something to the theory that smelling something can satiate your craving for it. I know there have been times that I've been making dinner and it takes so long to put the meal together that by the time I'm done cooking it, I'm not really that into it.
But can smelling french fries actually make you want them less?
A recent study says "yes." Scientist and the University of Florida did a little research on this matter and published their results in the Journal of Marketing Research. What they found is absolutely bonkers.
Researchers watched students in the cafeteria as they piped different smells into the room. When smells of unhealthy junk food filled the air, students were more likely to choose a healthy option. The reverse was true as well. If healthy scents were filtered into the air, students grabbed the unhealthy food.
I don't know about you, but if I smell pizza or burgers or fried chicken or low mein, you best believe that I'm acting on that smell. I see it. I smell it. I eat it. I guess that puts me in the (impulsive) minority.