Photo: Uriel Mont

What is last bite syndrome?

Each bite of a food or sip of a drink is enjoyed less than the previous one, a familiar phenomenon called "sensory-specific satiety." So consuming a larger portion means that the average enjoyment of the food or drink being eaten is reduced.

cmu.edu - The Last Bite - Carnegie Mellon University | CMU

Is Wellbutrin good for anxiety?

Also known as bupropion, Wellbutrin has been established as an effective antidepressant demonstrating an impressive ability to reduce anxiety...

Last updated Feb 14, 2020

Can green tea reduce belly fat?

Green tea has been shown to reduce belly fat (yay!) because green tea helps you lose visceral fat around your abdomen. This is excellent because...

Last updated Apr 22, 2020

Promotion

The Last Bite

Bigger isn't always better even when it comes to food.

While consumers demand larger portions, new research from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that not only do larger portions lead diners to enjoy the foods they eat less, they also reduce how often people eat certain items. Each bite of a food or sip of a drink is enjoyed less than the previous one, a familiar phenomenon called "sensory-specific satiety." So consuming a larger portion means that the average enjoyment of the food or drink being eaten is reduced. The degree of satiety at the end of a meal also influences how long we want to wait to eat a food in the future, as revealed by research conducted by Carey Morewedge, associate professor of marketing at CMU's Tepper School of Business, and his colleagues. "Although people often say they prefer larger portion sizes, especially for foods that they really like, our research indicates that consumption of larger portions can ultimately decrease the frequency at which these foods are consumed," Morewedge said. "This suggests people and companies may actually be better off with smaller portions." Research participants who ate chocolate truffles were given a coupon for a free bag of truffles, which they could pick up anytime in the subsequent two weeks. Although all participants redeemed their coupons, the more participants reported feeling fully satisfied after they finished their last truffle was the key predictor of how long they took to pick up their free bag. People who ate a greater amount of truffles took substantially longer to redeem their coupons than did participants who ate a single truffle. "Our conclusions suggest that how much we enjoy our last bite of a food — the end of an eating experience — appears to determine how long we will choose to wait before eating the same food again." Morewedge said. He said that companies could learn from the research and benefit through frequent repeat purchases in smaller sizes. Another interesting finding of the study was that distraction while eating, such as watching TV, can cloud the way people felt about their meal. The result was that distracted people were not as influenced as much by their enjoyment of the food as participants who were not distracted. The paper, titled "Does liking or wanting determine repeat consumption delay?" is published in this month's issue of "Appetite."

Homepage Story Archives

How do you melt stubborn belly fat?

I'm a Doctor and Here's How to "Melt" Abdominal Fat Increase Soluble Fiber. Cut the Alcohol. Eat More High Quality Protein. Eat Less Simple,...

Last updated Aug 14, 2019

Does putting a heating pad on your stomach burn fat?

Working out, exercising, and maintaining balanced diets are the only ways through which belly fat can be reduced. Electrical heating pads can help...

Last updated Apr 1, 2022

Promotion

Does eating less shrink your stomach?

Myth or Fact: If you cut down on your food intake, you'll eventually shrink your stomach so you won't be as hungry. Answer: Myth. Once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much remains the same size -- unless you have surgery to intentionally make it smaller.

webmd.com - 9 Surprising Facts About Your Stomach - WebMD

From those burning, churning feelings that erupt whenever we eat our favorite foods, to the bloating that keeps us from zipping up our jeans, to the gas that can make us the most unpopular person in the elevator, our stomach can be the cause of some major inconveniences, if not some outright health concerns. Still, experts say most folks know painfully little about how their stomach and their digestive tract operates -- one reason that solving tummy troubles can seem much harder than it has to be. "There are some very popular misconceptions concerning stomach health, most of which can really lead people astray on how to effectively deal with certain problems," says Mark Moyad, MD, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. David Greenwald, MD, agrees. "Sometimes what seems like a complex, difficult or even frightening problem really is a simple one, with a simple solution, if you can separate the myths from the facts," says Greenwald, an associate professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. To help set the record straight, Greenwald, Moyad, and NYU director of pediatric gastroenterology Joseph Levy, MD, helped WebMD prepare the following gut-busting challenge. Try to separate the myths from the facts to see how much you really know about how to keep your tummy healthy and happy.

What foods are on the Bulletproof Diet?

Vegetables: cauliflower, asparagus, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, and cooked leafy greens. Oils and fats: Bulletproof Upgraded...

Last updated Mar 26, 2018