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2w ago

Study Finds Watching Indulgent Food Can Help Dieters Eat Less

Researchers say visual cross-modal satiation could be a low-cost tool pending real-world tests.

Image shows study lead author Dr Esther Kang consuming digital food content. (Credit: University of Bristol)
A collage of a male eating ramen with chopsticks while filming for social media, and an Asian woman sitting on a couch holding a smartphone displaying content from the male.

Overview

  • Dieters in controlled experiments spent longer looking at rich desserts and junk food, then ate less when real treats were offered.
  • One lab test found dieters watched a high-calorie chocolate video about 30% longer than non-dieters and later consumed less chocolate from a bowl.
  • In a separate test, dieters looked at pizza, burgers and chips about 50% longer than non-dieters when shown those clips alongside healthy options.
  • The peer-reviewed research combined two online surveys and a lab study with 840 adults, led by the University of Bristol with the University at Buffalo.
  • Authors describe a process called cross-modal satiation, where seeing food can partly satisfy cravings, and they propose guided “digital foraging” as a possible aid while stressing evidence is short term and needs real-world follow-up.