‹ Direct-to-consumer advertising and weight-loss surgery •
I just learned about the “Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation” which is promoting the use of “flavor crystals” to help people lose weight.
The idea is to sprinkle these non-caloric scented crystals on your food to intensify its smell and taste.
Normally, you would think that smelling something delicious would actually stimulate your hunger. Well, it turns out that’s true for many smells. However, according to Dr. Alan Hirsch, the founder of this foundation, neutral sweet smells like green apple, banana, vanilla and peppermint will curb a person’s appetite.
This type of thing bothers me a lot.
It seems to me that the last thing you want to do is artificially block or modify your hunger. Hunger is a natural regulatory signal — just like thirst and the desire to breathe. You’d never consider doing anything to block or modify these other two regulatory signals, so why would you ever want to do anything to block or modify hunger?
This is the same problem I have with diet pills or special diets that promise to reduce a person’s hunger. That’s probably the worst thing you can do if you want to lose weight.
Allen Oelschlaeger
Author of Finally, the Straight Scoop About Weight, Nutrition, and Fitness
Tags: Weight Loss
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