In a new study, researchers have claimed that the ability to vividly imagine the smell of popcorn, freshly baked cookies and even non-food odors is greater in obese adults.
The research, which was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), is based on the researcher's study on Kavanagh's Elaborated Intrusion Theory of Desire, which proposes that creating vivid mental images stimulates and maintains food cravings triggered by the thought, smell and sight of food.
During the study, it was found that individuals with a higher body mass index (BMI) reported greater ability to vividly imagine food and non-food odors.
Study's lead author, Dr. Barkha Patel said that these findings highlight the need for a more individualistic approach in identifying factors that may increase risk for weight gain.
