Study: Heightened imagination for smell may drive food cravings
By Los Angeles Times
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.
If these prompts send you into swoons of olfactory delight, there’s a good chance that upon opening your eyes, an obese person could be staring back at you in the mirror.
Research has found that compared with people of normal weight, obese people conjure up more vivid images of aromas. The ability to experience sensory fantasies so richly, said researchers at Yale School of Medicine, may make some people more vulnerable than others to following food cues, even when they’re not hungry.