Is it worth focusing on the taste?

https://reddit.com/link/1i7ayd7/video/76hy5c55pjee1/player

This study specifically focused on what we discussed as one way to define mindful eating. One group of participants was instructed to focus on the sensory properties of food (taste, smell, texture, colour). Another group was instructed to eat in a quiet environment without distractions, and a third group received no instructions. All participants took a food recall test after the experiment and answered how well they followed the instructions.

The results showed that regardless of the strategy, the food eaten by the participants did not differ significantly in either quantity or composition. In the “quiet environment” group, a negative relationship was observed between the caloric content of the food eaten and the success of following the instructions: the more calories were eaten, the worse the success of following the instructions.

The researchers conclude that paying attention to the sensory properties of the food does not affect the healthiness of the diet. Possibly, more attention needs to be paid to intentions and their control. Or something else that we have not yet determined.

#spoonfulofreason #psychology #eating #attention

Study: (Re)defining mindful eating into mindful eating behaviour to advance scientific enquiry: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0260106020984091

Mantzios, M. (2020). (Re)defining mindful eating into mindful eating behaviour to advance scientific enquiry. Nutrition and Health. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260106020984091

My name is Monika. I am a health and nutrition psychologist. I help people with daily and challenging questions about behaviour, thinking, and emotions. I write, give lectures, and provide psychological counselling. You can book my session here: https://calendly.com/saukstasproto/psichologine-konsultacija.