The Way you smell makes you fat says a research

If you can recall it intensely, you might be in danger of becoming overweight.

Differences in the ability to image odours, especially food odours, might promote food cravings, the results said.

An experiment was carried out in which more than 80 volunteers were asked to complete a questionnaire in which questions were asked to imagine both visual and odor cutes and also, to rate their vividness.

The researchers found that those with higher body mass index were more likely to report greater ability when it comes to vividly imagining food and non-food smell.

Earlier research has unveiled that food cravings happen more among obese individuals.

“As predicted, correlation analyses revealed positive associations between BMI and perceived ability to image odors and foods, but not visual objects”, the researchers reported.

“Being better able to imagine odors could intensify the craving experience, which in turn would encourage food consumption”, Patel said.

People who can vividly imagine smells, such as freshly baked cookies or even wet paint, tend to weigh more than people whose olfactory imaginations are less sharp, new research finds.

Researchers hope that with future research, the study may be used to develop cognitive behavioral therapy techniques that address the power of the brain’s nose in curbing food cravings.

Study lead author Doctor Barkha Patel said: “These findings highlight the need for a more individualistic approach in identifying factors that may increase risk for weight gain”.

Close your eyes and imagine the smell of baking bread, of a pungent curry dish, of popcorn at the movies or a bouquet of freshly cut tea roses.

The researchers based their 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.

The findings of the research were presented at the annual meeting for the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.