Images of Food Stimulate Appetite

A new study published in the journal Obesity confirms that seeing delicious foods stimulates the appetite. The findings suggest the hormone ghrelin in the blood increases as a result of visual stimulation through images of food.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry investigated the molecular processes for the control of food consumption by examining the specific physiological reaction of the test subjects to images showing either delicious food or non-edible objects. The measured concentrations of different hormones in the blood, such as grehlin, leptin and insulin that play a role in the regulation of food consumption. The researchers observed that the concentration of grehlin in the blood increases specifically in response to visual stimulation with food images.

Ghrelin controls both eating behavior and the physical processes involved in food metabolism. The results showed in addition to the physiological mechanisms for maintaining the body’s energy status, environmental factors also have a specific influence on food consumption. They concluded, the presence of heavy food advertisements in Western cultures may contribute to weight gain.

“The findings of our study demonstrate, for the first time, that the release of ghrelin into the blood for the regulation of food consumption is also controlled by external factors. Our brain thereby processes these visual stimuli, and the physical processes that control our perception of appetite are triggered involuntarily. This mechanism could prompt us to eat a piece of cake just two hours after breakfast," the researchers said.

Sources:

·                                 Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry: Pictures of food create feelings of hunger