In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.
Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.
A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.
This disparity (盖弃）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.
"Hunger isn't controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says. "This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."
These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 3S0-calorie (卡路里）milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.
What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.
The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.
56. What is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?
A) How we perceive the food we eat. C) When we eat our meals.
B) What ingredients the food contains. D) How fast we eat our meals.
57. What would happen at meal time if you remembered eating a lot in the previous meal?
A) You would probably be more picky about food.B) You would not feel like eating the same food.
C) You would have a good appetite.D) You would not feel so hungry.
58. What do we learn from the 2011 study?
A) Food labels may mislead consumers in their purchases.B) Food labels may influence our body’s response to food.
C) Hunger levels depend on one's consumption of calories.D) People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary.
59. What does Brunstrom suggest we do to control our appetite?
A) Trick ourselves into eating less. C) Concentrate on food while eating.
B) Choose food with fewer calories. D) Pick dishes of the right size.
60. What is the main idea of the passage?
A) Eating distractions often affect our food digestion.B) Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.
C) Our food intake is determined by our biological needs.D) Good eating habits will contribute to our health.