Center for Public Health Nutrition

Taste, Appetite & Eating Behavior Research

Hunger might be the best appetizer, but people eat for a variety of reasons. Food provides energy and vital nutrients that keep us healthy and satisfied. Overeating represents the failure of food to satisfy, and if maintained, will lead to overweight and obesity.  Food manufacturers have an important role to play in public health by providing nourishing, delicious, and satisfying foods and beverages.

Research conducted in our laboratories at the Center for Public Health Nutrition helps food producers and manufacturers identify foods and food ingredients that are delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. In addition, the research helps consumers make good decisions about the types of foods they consume and it informs the scientific community about the impact of chemical constituents on consumer feelings and behavior.

Behavioral Research Laboratory

In our behavioral research laboratory, we study the details of appetite and eating behavior. In particular, we are interested in the nutritional and sensory factors that determine how hungry or full people feel in between meals and how much people eat at mealtimes. 

In previous projects we have tested whether the texture, taste or nutrient content of food affect the appetite and control hunger.

Examples of the types of research projects we have conducted:

  • Comparing the effects of liquid versus solid foods on the appetite.
  • Comparing the effects of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup on the appetite.
  • Comparing the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of different foods and beverages.
  • Exploring whether the addition of fiber to foods increases their satiating power.
  • Exploring how the glycemic index of foods relates to their satiating power.

Our projects exploring appetite and eating behavior use robust study designs and are double-blinded, meaning that the identities of foods and beverages being tested are not known to either the research staff or participants. Double blinding is a standard procedure for the highest quality behavioral research because it minimizes the potential for participant and experimenter bias. 

Exploring the Effects of Beverages on Hunger and Satiety

This graph shows how hunger level (on a one hundred point scale) varies over the course of the morning in response to different beverages.  The beverages are milk (purple), a soft drink sweetened with sucrose (table sugar, green) and a soft drink sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS 55, yellow). A condition where no beverage was given was also tested (No beverage, pink). The data show that there were no differences in hunger level across time between the three beverages. It also shows that participants who did not get a beverage reported substantially more hunger before lunch. After eating lunch, hunger ratings fell to near zero. This evidence is useful because it shows that the type of sugar presented to participants did not alter the participants feelings of hunger contrary to the idea that high fructose corn syrup is less satiating than other types of sugar. Effect of Beverages on Hunger

These types of studies are very important in helping food and beverage industries decide how best to improve their products to make them more nutritious and satisfying.They are also important to consumers, in that they can help consumers decide which foods and beverages are most helpful for controlling their appetite. Finally, these studies are extremely important to the scientific community because they provide evidence as to the chemical constituents that affect human feelings such as hunger, thirst and the many dimensions of taste and texture.

For more information about the Center for Public Health Nutrition's Taste, Appetite and Eating Behavior Research:

 

Contact:
Brett Carter, MS
Research Scientist
(206) 897-1475

Recent Publications:

  • Carter BE, Monsivais P, Perrigue MM, Drewnowski A. Supplementing chicken broth with monosodium glutamate reduces hunger and desire to snack but does not affect energy intake in women. British Journal of Nutrition. doi:10.1017/.2011. full article
  • Carter BE, Monsivais P, Drewnowski A. The sensory optimum of chicken broths supplemented with calcium di-glutamate: A possibility for reducing sodium while maintaining taste. Food Quality and Preference. Epub ahead of print, 2011. full article