Feel like eating chocolate? Some scientists reckon that by imagining tucking into your favorite candy bar, you can reduce the amount you end up eating.
A small-scale study carried out at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, found that people who repeatedly imagined eating a food ended up eating less of it.
If you've ever had the experience, though, of being unable to stop thinking about cookies - until you eventually crack and eat one - you might well question how accurate the scientist's findings are.
The study was very small, involving just 51 people, and was published in Science Magazine. Participants were divided into four groups:
One group repeatedly imagined eating a food (the study used M&Ms and cubes of cheese)Another group imagined it a few timesA third group imagined eating a different foodThe final group didn't imagine eating anythingThe study's authors wrote that the first group "subsequently consumed less of the imagined food" than the others, and added:
They did so because they desired to eat it less, not because they considered it less palatable. These results suggest that mental representation alone can engender habituation to a stimulus.
In plain English, that means that imagining can make us get used to something. You've probably noticed that the first couple of bites of your favorite food are usually the best, that's because you quickly become "habituated" to it.
The scientists believe that by imagining that we're eating a food, we get that same sense of being used to it, so we end up being satisfied with less.
Crackpot research, or new enlightenment?
Well, I don't think imagination is ever going to be as effective as a healthy diet combined with exercise. But, if you want to control how much you eat this Christmas, it just might be worth a try.
And if you give it a go, let us know how you get on in the comments below...
Image credit: tchola
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