Imagine This: Visualising a Recent Meal as Bigger Reduces Subsequent Snack Intake, 2022

Szypula, Joanna (2022). Imagine This: Visualising a Recent Meal as Bigger Reduces Subsequent Snack Intake, 2022. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-855734

It has previously been shown that recalling a recent meal reduces subsequent intake of palatable snacks (i.e. the meal-recall effect). The present experiment investigated whether additional mental visualisation tasks involving the recent meal memory would further suppress intake. Participants (N=151) first ate lunch at the laboratory, and then returned three hours later to perform the imagination tasks and to participate in a taste test (during which intake was covertly measured). Participants in the two main imagination task groups recalled the lunch meal and then either recalled the consumption episode in great detail or imagined the meal was larger and more filling than in reality. The results showed that imagining a recent meal as larger than in reality significantly reduced the quantity of biscuits eaten. However, contrary to the hypotheses, recalling a recent meal and then recalling the consumption episode in detail did not affect snack intake. It was also shown that imagining a recent meal as larger than in reality did not lead participants to overestimate the true size of the meal. In fact, all participants underestimated their lunch portion size, and those who imagined their meal as larger underestimated it the most. The results of this study suggest that the meal-recall effect can be an effective strategy to reduce food intake, and may be amenable to strategic manipulation to enhance efficacy, but that it is prone to disruption from contextual factors.

Data description (abstract)

It has previously been shown that recalling a recent meal reduces subsequent intake of palatable snacks (i.e. the meal-recall effect). The present experiment investigated whether additional mental visualisation tasks involving the recent meal memory would further suppress intake. Participants (N=151) first ate lunch at the laboratory, and then returned three hours later to perform the imagination tasks and to participate in a taste test (during which intake was covertly measured). Participants in the two main imagination task groups recalled the lunch meal and then either recalled the consumption episode in great detail or imagined the meal was larger and more filling than in reality. The results showed that imagining a recent meal as larger than in reality significantly reduced the quantity of biscuits eaten. However, contrary to the hypotheses, recalling a recent meal and then recalling the consumption episode in detail did not affect snack intake. It was also shown that imagining a recent meal as larger than in reality did not lead participants to overestimate the true size of the meal. In fact, all participants underestimated their lunch portion size, and those who imagined their meal as larger underestimated it the most. The results of this study suggest that the meal-recall effect can be an effective strategy to reduce food intake, and may be amenable to strategic manipulation to enhance efficacy, but that it is prone to disruption from contextual factors.

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