A new article in The Conversation suggests that overeating may be more driven by perceptions of foods than by levels of processing.
The article covered a study of over 3,000 people in the UK. The study used online surveys to measure self-reported liking and overeating of foods. Participants were shown photos of unbranded foods and asked how much they liked the food and how likely they were to overeat it. In total, over 400 foods were shown to the participants. After receiving input from the participants, responses were compared to each food’s nutritional content, classification as ultra-processed or not, and tendency to be perceived in certain ways (sweet, fatty, processed, healthy, unhealthy, etc.). Many people hypothesize that ultra-processed foods are formulated to hijack our brain’s reward system to make us overeat, which may ultimately lead to health problems like obesity and heart disease. This study sought to determine what food qualities, including processing, perception, and other factors, drive people to like foods and to overeat them.
The results showed that people liked foods that they ate more often, and that calorie-dense foods were more likely to be overeaten. Foods were also more likely to be liked and overeaten based on nutrition; foods that were high in fat and carbohydrates were more likely to be liked, while foods that were low in fiber and high in calories were more likely to be overeaten. In terms of food perceptions, foods that were seen as sweet, fatty, or highly processed were more likely to be overeaten regardless of their actual nutritional content, while foods perceived as bitter or high fiber were less likely to be overeaten.
One of the main takeaways from these results was that perceptions of food can matter as much as actual nutritional content and processing in determining how likely we are to overeat. This suggests that better literacy surrounding food may help prevent overeating, potentially leading to lower rates of obesity, heart disease, and other health concerns.
Sources: Science Daily, The Conversation