Hey dieters — if your weight-loss plan doesn’t seem to be working out, perhaps it is time to invest in some clothespins for your nose.
A new study published in the journal Chemical Senses has found that a heightened sense of smell is linked to being overweight, and researchers speculate this is because it makes food seem more appealing, which encourages people to eat more.
According to the Telegraph, the scientists set out to determine if feeling hungry or full had an impact on how our sense of smell works. The study found that people were more sensitive to the smell of food when they were full, instead of when they were famished. But when it came for other smells — the opposite was true. More research found that people with higher BMIs were more sensitive to food-related smells than participants with lower BMIs.
Dr Lorenzo Stafford, who works in the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Psychology, tested 64 participants between the ages of 18 and 49. He used the smell of cooking herbs and gradually diluted the odour until the participants were unable to detect the scent.
Dr. Stafford told the Telegraph that they have yet to figure out why people with higher BMIs have such a keen sense of food-related smell.
Resource:Being overweight linked to sense of smell: study
A new study published in the journal Chemical Senses has found that a heightened sense of smell is linked to being overweight, and researchers speculate this is because it makes food seem more appealing, which encourages people to eat more.
According to the Telegraph, the scientists set out to determine if feeling hungry or full had an impact on how our sense of smell works. The study found that people were more sensitive to the smell of food when they were full, instead of when they were famished. But when it came for other smells — the opposite was true. More research found that people with higher BMIs were more sensitive to food-related smells than participants with lower BMIs.
Dr Lorenzo Stafford, who works in the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Psychology, tested 64 participants between the ages of 18 and 49. He used the smell of cooking herbs and gradually diluted the odour until the participants were unable to detect the scent.
Dr. Stafford told the Telegraph that they have yet to figure out why people with higher BMIs have such a keen sense of food-related smell.
Resource:Being overweight linked to sense of smell: study
