Why you always seem to have room for dessert

Summary

This video explains the concept of sensory specific satiety, a phenomenon where our desire for certain foods decreases as we continue eating them, but can make room for a different food. Dr. Popper Rolls, a nutritional scientist, explains how this concept can help us eat a variety of foods, but also lead to overeating in situations with abundant food options. Through experiments, it’s shown that variety in food choices keeps us interested and can encourage us to eat more, making it an important aspect of our eating behavior and overall health.

Takeaways

• 😀 Sensory specific satiety is the scientific reason why you can eat dessert even after feeling full from a main course.
• 😀 This concept, researched since the 1980s by Dr. Popper Rolls, explains how your interest in food changes during a meal.
• 😀 Sensory specific satiety refers to how much your desire for a certain food decreases as you continue eating it.
• 😀 After eating a large meal (e.g., mac and cheese), your interest in that food decreases, but you may still have room for a different food (e.g., ice cream).
• 😀 In an experiment, participants ate three times as much dessert (ice cream) after feeling full from the main course (mac and cheese).
• 😀 Fullness isn’t just about stomach capacity; it's also about how interested you are in eating more of a particular food.
• 😀 Sensory specific satiety helps ensure we get a variety of nutrients by encouraging us to switch between foods.
• 😀 The effect of sensory specific satiety can backfire when we are presented with a large variety of foods (e.g., buffets or Thanksgiving), leading to overeating.
• 😀 In another experiment, participants ate 60% more when presented with a variety of different foods in each course compared to the same food repeatedly.
• 😀 Sensory specific satiety explains why you'll eat more French fries with condiments or more ice cream with multiple flavors.
• 😀 Children are more likely to eat more vegetables if given a variety, rather than just one type, due to sensory specific satiety.

Q & A

What is sensory specific satiety?

Sensory specific satiety is the phenomenon where the appeal of a food decreases as you continue eating it, but your interest can be revived by the introduction of a different food. It explains why you might be full but still able to eat something different, like dessert.

How does sensory specific satiety relate to the feeling of fullness?

Sensory specific satiety suggests that fullness isn’t just about your stomach physically being full, but about the decreased interest in eating more of the same food. It’s more about how much you enjoy or are interested in continuing to eat a particular food.

Who first studied sensory specific satiety and when?

Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutritional scientist, first began studying sensory specific satiety in the 1980s, and her work has continued to shape our understanding of human eating behavior.

What was the main experiment conducted in the video?

The main experiment involved giving six people a large plate of mac and cheese and asking them to eat until full. Afterward, they were given either more mac and cheese or ice cream. The results showed that while participants ate little more mac and cheese after feeling full, they ate much more ice cream after reaching the same level of fullness.

What did the ice cream experiment demonstrate about sensory specific satiety?

The ice cream experiment demonstrated that after eating mac and cheese, participants were less interested in eating more of the same food but could eat three times as much ice cream. This shows how a change in food type can reignite appetite even after feeling full.

Why do we sometimes overeat at buffets or on holidays?

At buffets or holiday meals, there is often a wide variety of foods available. This variety keeps your interest in eating high, as sensory specific satiety is less likely to kick in when the foods are different. This can lead to overeating because the appeal of different foods doesn't diminish as quickly.

How does sensory specific satiety influence children's eating habits?

Sensory specific satiety explains why children are likely to eat more vegetables if they are offered a variety rather than just one type. The appeal of variety keeps them engaged with their food, encouraging them to eat more of it.

What happens when you eat a variety of foods during a meal?

Eating a variety of foods can help prevent sensory specific satiety from kicking in. People tend to eat more when they are served different types of food throughout a meal, as the change in taste and texture maintains their interest.

What is the practical benefit of sensory specific satiety for human health?

Sensory specific satiety helps ensure that we eat a diverse range of foods, which is important for obtaining a variety of nutrients. It’s a mechanism that encourages us to try different foods, supporting balanced nutrition.

How do sensory specific satiety and food variety affect overeating behavior?

While sensory specific satiety can help with health by encouraging food variety, it also increases the risk of overeating when there’s an abundance of food choices. The desire to keep eating different foods can cause us to consume more than we need, especially in buffet or holiday settings.