A study examined how viewing many pictures of foods can diminish enjoyment of eating those foods. In an experiment, participants who viewed 60 pictures of salty foods enjoyed eating peanuts less than those who saw sweet food pictures. This shows that sensory overload from excessive food images can negatively impact satiation. Given the large amounts of food advertising people see daily, this sensory overload may influence unhealthy lifestyle and diet choices. However, technology can also be used to find and share healthy food information to make better choices.

1. A Sensory Overload That Could Affect
Your Diet and Nutrition
A picture is worth a thousand words, but it can also ruin your appetite.
by Timothy Rosini
I
n a world that is constantly at your
fingertips, whether it's TV, radio,
or the Internet, sensory overload
has become increasingly pervasive in
our culture today (Pappas 2010). We
are more_connected than ever and it
is continually changing our lifestyles,
affecting both social interaction and
consumption patterns (TheGnome
.HubPages.com).
One major area of influence has al-
ways been food advertising. With the
boom of social media ads in addition
to traditional advertising, we are con-
stantly bombarded by images of foods
and meals, many of them unhealthy
(Keller 2012). Is this culture oftechnol-
ogy and media influencing and shap-
ing our eating habits and choices today
42 GardaVita®I© 2013 Vol.3 I No.21
(NIH.gov 2012)? And is this sensory
overload of food advertising contribut-
ing to poor nutrition?
A Bittersweet Experiment
A recent study published in the
Journal of Consumer Psychology exam-
ined how being exposed to too many
pictures of foods and meals can dimin-
ish our ability to enjoy certain foods
(Whiteman 2013). The study included
232 participants in experiments on
viewing and rating various pictures of
food.
One experiment divided the partici-
pants in half, with one-half viewing 60
pictures of sweet foods (cake, choco-
lates, candy, etc.) while the other half
were asked to view 60 pictures of salty
foods (chips, pretzels, french fries, etc.).
Both groups rated each food picture
based on how appetizing it was to them.
All participants were then required to
eat a salty food-peanuts-and rate
how much they enjoyed eating them.
Too Much to Look At-
The experiment showed that the
participants who first viewed the 60
pictures of salty foods and then ate the
peanuts enjoyed eating the peanuts sig-
nificantly less than those who viewed
the sweet foods before they ate the pea-
nuts.
The results of the study give truth to
the idea that sensory overload can af-
fect a person's experience of satiation.
Satiation in this instance is defined as

2. ''A reduction in enjoyment as a result
of repeated consumption:' For exam-
ple, you may thoroughly enjoy eating
two chocolate chip cookies, but by the
eighth you may become tired of eating
the same food. Brigham Young Uni-
versity professor and study co-author,
Ryan Elder, explained that it was the
same basic reasoning behind the idea
of overstimulation via pictures of food.
"In a way, you're becoming tired of
that taste without even eating the food;'
says Elder. "It's sensory boredom-
you've kind of moved on. You don't
want that taste experience anymore:'
The Effects of an
Oversaturated Reality
Authors noted that this idea of over-
stimulation does stem from a large
amount of food viewing, not just three
or four pictures. But given the amount
of food advertisements we're exposed
to daily-whether it's commercials,
social-media sites, or even billboards
and Internet marketing-the influence
these mediums have on our daily lives
can be overwhelming (Shapiro 2010).
How many times have you seen
a commercial for a mouthwatering
cheeseburger, steak, or heavy pasta
dinner? Include the thousands of junk
food commercials seen throughout an
average day of TV viewing, and you
have the seeds planted for unhealthy
lifestyles and poor food choices in chil-
dren and young adults. From 2009 to
2010 the fast food industry alone spent
$4.2 billion in marketing (Philpott)! It's
easy to .understand how lifestyles and
eating trends in the U.S. have curved
towards creating an unhealthy prec- ·
edent that is now beginning to be seri-
ously addressed.
Using the Tools for Health
Fortunately, these same tools can
also give us the power to shift towards
a healthier society by making better
choices and knowing what to avoid
.(Kaiser.org).
The Internet can allow us to learn
about new, healthy foods, where to
find them, and how to budget a healthy
' ( In away, you're becoming tired of that
taste without even eating the food. It's sensory
boredom-you've kind of moved on. You don't
want that taste experience anymore.
diet. Forty-three percent of Americans
say they use social media to plan their
meals (Heine 2013). Social media can
connect us with other health-minded
individuals so that we can share nu-
tritious recipes and other good eat-
ing ideas. It also allows for discovery
of healthy restaurants-which we may
have never heard of otherwise-as well
as connect us to local markets that sell
fresh produce (CNN.com 2010).
Maintaining Control
Part of the solution comes down to
how we choose to use these tools be-
cause having the means isn't enough
when it comes to a healthy lifestyle; it
also takes desire. These advancements
i~ technology have the power to posi-
tively influence our health (Rutledge
2013). While the threat ofsensory over-
load will always loom in our consumer-
driven society, we have both the final
decision-making power and the ability
to use these tools to become knowl-
edgeable about our own health to make
the right choices that lead to a healthier
way oflife. B
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