Follow Your Nose!

Here’s a new strategy for those of us trying to lose weight by eating smaller portions: go for foods that have strong smells.

It turns out that people tend to take smaller bites of food when it has a strong aroma.

A study from the Netherlands tested this theory. Researchers gave study participants a custard-like dessert while presenting different scents directly to the nose.

“The results showed that the stronger the smell, the smaller the bite,” according to the study published in the journal Flavour.

“Our human test subjects were able to control how much dessert was fed to them by pushing a button. Bite size was associated with the aroma presented for that bite and also for subsequent bites (especially for the second to last bite),” said lead author Dr. Rene A. de Wijk, in the release.

So how much of a difference can this strategy make?

The study suggests that people might eat 5 to 10 percent less per bite.

Every calorie counts, right?

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

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