Do I smell pizza?

It's the middle of the afternoon, Spring is in the air and my sandwich and fruit are still digesting as I stroll through town. As my senses take in the sights and sounds of the bustling street, food is the last thing on my mind. Whoa, what is that amazing smell? Mmmmmm pizza! A few minutes later I am halfway through a greasy slice that turned out to be not nearly as heavenly as its overpowering aroma had suggested.

At this point my distended gut is repeatedly dialing and finally getting through to my hypothalamus (master control center in the brain), that was apparently temporarily stymied by "pizza brain", to let me know that I am not only no longer hungry, but pretty darn full. Actually, that's a way simplified explanation of the neurohormonal (gut-brain) signaling that regulates our appetite, calorie intake and body weight. To learn more about the hormonal regulation of hunger and satiety, check out this article in Time called "The Science of Appetite": http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1626795,00.html




Most of us can probably recall a time or two when the senses overruled the stomach(s). In fact, many powerful factors, including sight, smell, time of day, portion size, and possibly even our birth order, affect what, when and how much food we consume. If you missed the link at the bottom of the appetite article, click here for a cool photo essay about some of the factors which influence our appetite and food intake: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626481,00.html

Just how big of an influence does portion size have on our calorie intake at a given meal? In a study by Barbara Rolls PhD, 51 men and women were fed macaroni and cheese for lunch once a week for four weeks. The meals were identical except for the portion size of the mac and cheese which varied from 500 to 1000grams (16.5 to 33 oz). On average, subjects consumed 30% more calories when served the largest portion compared to the smallest. Multiple other studies have found similar results.

Wait! Don't throw your hands up in the air and give in to the urge to raid the snack drawer just yet. Despite the many factors which contribute to the super-sizing of our food intake (and our waistlines), we are not necessarily helpless to the sensory appeal of fresh baked pizza or french fries or to that bottomless bowl of movie theater popcorn. Below is a simple tool to help us become conscious of our hunger and satiety signals before we overeat, called "The Hunger and Fullness Scale." There are many similar tools out there, but this one is based on the scale found in the book "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.


Hunger and Fullness Scale

0 Empty/ Famished

1-2 Stomach rumbling hungry

3-4 Ready for a snack or small meal

5 Neutral

6-7 Satisfied

8-9 Overly full

10 Ready to burst or hibernate for the next few months


The scale is pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to stay between 3 and 7 as much as possible. Get too close to 0 and we are likely to chow right through the scale until it's tough to keep the pants fastened. So the next time you smell pizza in the air or are ready to reach for that 3rd slice, take a moment to consciously tune into your hunger level. Already at a 6 or higher? Well, then it's probably best to remove yourself from the sensory appeal of the food. Still got "pizza brain?" Try shaking it out (see last post). Give in anyway? Don't beat yourself up about it. We are becoming conscious eaters, not perfect eaters!