We live in a society where an "all you can eat " mindset prevails. Let me explain what I mean by using an example of a person at a buffet. After eating their main course, this person reaches a point of satiety from eating their meal and should naturally be inclined to conclude their dining experience. But when this person sees the endless possibilities of their next course, they get hungry again.
The phenomenon of losing interest in the meal you're consuming is referred to as sensory-specific satiety. To put it plainly, as a person eats a certain meal, it becomes less desirable. In an environment where several food options are available, the natural feeling of satiety is overridden by the abundance of food. The buffet example demonstrates how people tend to eat more when offered several options, as opposed to just one meal.
Sensory-specific satiety is beneficial when people are using this to eat a variety of healthy foods and well-balanced meals. It makes sense that the human body would adapt to the variety available and ensure that our diet consists of varied nutrient-dense foods.
This gets us into trouble, however, in an environment where food is highly accessible and leads to a higher caloric intake. Where we should be listening to our body's hunger cues and eating sensibly, we are choosing to silence these signals and eat all that we can.
What can we do to tackle this issue and ensure that we are not staying in the "all you can eat" mindset? Be aware of the signals that your body is giving you when it comes to hunger. Are you eating because of your biological hunger or sensory hunger? Are you hungry for a particular food item or are you just interested in what it will taste like? Most times you'll find that you're simply curious, and in that case, taking a "mindful" bite of said food is allowed. This is where you have to exercise willpower and limit yourself to just that bite. Use sensory-specific satiety to your advantage and be vigilant of portion sizes. In his book, Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think, Brian Wansink points out that on average most people make over 200 decisions about food daily, but cannot explain why they make these choices. Don't fall into that category. Pay attention to what and how much you're eating. Most importantly, listen to the cues that your body is giving you.
By: E. Denise Hernandez, M.S., R.D., L.D.