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The differential role of smell and taste for eating behavior
While the senses taste and smell play an influential role in the choice and intake of food, this 2017 article discusses the differences in functions of smell and taste on dietary behavior. Boesveldt & de Graaf explain that sensing an odor leads to greater appetite for the cued food but its impact on food choice and consumption is a little less clear – perhaps involving other factors such as awareness or intensity of the odors, and the personality traits of the person. On the other hand, the role of taste is better understood. In addition to texture, taste is responsible for determining the rate of food intake, the exposure duration of food in the mouth, and thus level of satiation. By applying these findings to real-life situations, the longer-term impacts of taste and smell on energy consumption can be analyzed. And in doing this, hopefully people’s eating behaviors can be modified to move towards a less obesogenic society. [NPID: perception, taste, smell, dietary behavior, texture, rate of food intake, obesity]
Year: 2017
