Sensory Cues for Eating Behavior

Overseen By Christina M Blackmon

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Penn State University

Disqualifiers: Food allergies, Major depressive disorder, Dementia, Eating disorders, Vertigo, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 2 visits over 1 week

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines how different smells might influence eating behavior in a virtual reality outdoor café. Researchers aim to determine if certain scents can encourage healthier eating habits, potentially leading to public spaces that support healthy choices. Participants will encounter both pleasant and unpleasant smells to assess their impact on eating behavior. Ideal participants are individuals aged 18-29 who have a good sense of smell and no food allergies or health conditions affecting eating or virtual reality experiences. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could shape healthier public environments.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It might be best to discuss this with the trial coordinators.

What prior data suggests that these sensory cues are safe for human exposure?

Research has shown that smelling different scents, such as food odors, is generally safe. Studies have found that both pleasant and unpleasant smells can influence food preferences without causing harm. Pleasant smells can increase interest in certain foods and affect cravings and choices. Conversely, unpleasant smells might reduce interest in some foods, yet remain safe to experience.

Overall, these findings suggest that while smells can alter food preferences, they do not pose safety risks. Therefore, trying out different smells, even in a virtual setting like the study under consideration, is safe. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how sensory cues, specifically smells, can influence eating behaviors. Unlike traditional treatments for eating behavior that might focus on diet plans or medications, this trial uses pleasant and unpleasant smells to potentially modify how people eat. This approach is unique because it taps into the sensory experience, which could offer a non-invasive and easily applicable method to help manage eating habits. By understanding the impact of different smells, researchers hope to uncover new strategies that could complement or even enhance existing treatments for improving eating behaviors.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for influencing eating behavior?

Research has shown that smells can greatly affect eating habits. In this trial, participants will experience different sensory cues, with some starting with a pleasant smell and others with an unpleasant one. Pleasant smells, such as those from food, can increase hunger and lead to eating more by enhancing cravings for specific foods. In contrast, bad smells can distract from enjoying food or even cause avoidance of eating. These findings suggest that altering smells might help in making better food choices and promoting healthier eating. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Travis Masterson

Principal Investigator

The Pennsylvania State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy individuals interested in participating in a study that explores how different smells influence eating behavior. There are no specific inclusion or exclusion criteria provided, so it's open to the general healthy population.

Inclusion Criteria

Not color blind

Free of self-reported food allergies/food sensitivities

Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

Suffers from color blindness

Have self-reported food allergies

I have had a hair transplant within the last 6 months.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants experience different scents in a virtual reality-simulated outdoor café to study the influence on eating behavior.

2 visits over 1 week

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in eating behavior and responses to sensory cues after the VR experience.

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Pleasant Smell
• Unpleasant Smell

Trial Overview The study tests whether pleasant or unpleasant smells can affect food choices and intake within a virtual reality setting that simulates an outdoor café. It aims to understand if sensory cues like city or nature smells have an impact on eating behaviors.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Unpleasant First Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will experience the unpleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the pleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Group II: Pleasant First Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will experience the pleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the unpleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

380

Recruited

131,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Ambient exposure to food odors, specifically a bread scent, significantly increased the amount of low-energy vegetable soup consumed by 30 obese women, indicating that smell can enhance food intake.

The study also found that the food odor exposure heightened both general appetite and sensory-specific appetite for similar food products, suggesting that odors can influence eating behavior and energy intake in obese individuals.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ambient Odor Exposure Affects Food Intake and Sensory Specific Appetite in Obese Women. Proserpio, C., Invitti, C., Boesveldt, S., et al.[2020]

In a study of 80 female university students, higher levels of pathological eating attitudes were linked to differences in sensitivity to sweet and fatty food odors, although no significant correlations were found with overall taste and smell perception.

This research is the first to explore the relationship between pathological eating attitudes and food stimuli in a non-clinical sample, suggesting a need for more comprehensive measures of disordered eating that extend beyond just caloric restriction.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigating the Link between Eating Attitudes, Taste and Odour Preferences and the Chemical Senses. St Clair, L., Grady, A., Mahmut, MK.[2023]

Classical conditioning plays a crucial role in how animals learn to associate food flavors with positive or negative experiences, influencing their eating behavior based on past experiences.

The brain mechanisms behind conditioned taste aversion involve long-term potentiation in the amygdala, which helps form associations between flavors and bodily signals, ultimately affecting emotional responses and food intake decisions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brain mechanisms of flavor learning. Yamamoto, T., Ueji, K.[2021]

Rats can learn to avoid the odor of carbon disulfide (CS₂) through taste-potentiated odor aversion, indicating that they can associate negative experiences with specific smells.

Interestingly, this learned aversion does not affect their ability to use CS₂ as a cue for food preferences, suggesting that the pathways for processing odors and semiochemicals operate independently in the brain.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Stability and flexibility of the message carried by semiochemical stimuli, as revealed by devaluation of carbon disulfide followed by social transmission of food preference. Maier, JX., Blankenship, ML., Barry, NC., et al.[2021]

A study involving 68 participants found significant individual differences in how people perceive irritation from the smell of irritant foods like mustard oil, vinegar, and wasabi, with younger individuals being the most sensitive.

The research indicates that nasal responsiveness to irritant foods can influence food acceptance and behaviors, as those who perceived more irritation tended to like the foods less, especially when familiar with the stimuli.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individual differences in the perception of orthonasal irritation induced by food. Piochi, M., Cabrino, G., Morini, G., et al.[2020]

The sense of smell plays a crucial role in human well-being by influencing nutrition and social relationships, as it helps individuals extract nutritional information from food cues and can affect food choices.

Olfaction also regulates emotional conditions, impacting social interactions throughout different life stages, suggesting that enhancing our understanding of smell could improve overall quality of life.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The importance of the olfactory system in human well-being, through nutrition and social behavior. Boesveldt, S., Parma, V.[2022]

In a study involving 32 normal-weight young women, exposure to ambient food odors, particularly those associated with high-energy dense products like chocolate and beef, significantly increased both food intake and salivation compared to a no-odor control condition.

While the odors did not specifically increase appetite for the exact foods presented, overall appetite ratings were significantly higher during odor exposure, suggesting that ambient food scents can influence eating behavior and potentially affect nutritional status.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of ambient odors on food intake, saliva production and appetite ratings. Proserpio, C., de Graaf, C., Laureati, M., et al.[2018]

The sense of smell primarily acts as a trigger for appetite, specifically increasing desire for certain foods when exposed to their odors, although its impact on actual food choice and intake can vary based on factors like awareness and individual personality traits.

Taste functions as a critical nutrient detection system during eating, influencing how quickly we eat and contributing to feelings of fullness, which can help in managing overall energy intake and potentially reducing obesity.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Differential Role of Smell and Taste For Eating Behavior. Boesveldt, S., de Graaf, K.[2017]

Food aromas can influence people's food preferences and choices, but their effectiveness is highly dependent on specific contextual factors, such as the congruency of the scent with the food and the intensity of the aroma.

Individual differences, including dietary habits, Body Mass Index (BMI), and cultural perceptions of smells, also play a significant role in how people respond to food-related scents, suggesting that scent marketing strategies should be tailored to these factors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Orthonasal olfactory influences on consumer food behaviour. Zhang, T., Spence, C.[2023]

In a study of 239 independently living older adults in Italy, 41% had taste impairment and 33% had olfactory impairment, but these impairments did not significantly affect their eating pleasure or appetite.

Factors such as living alone, dietary restrictions, and perceived taste impairment were more strongly linked to decreased eating pleasure and appetite, suggesting that addressing social and dietary factors may be crucial for preventing malnutrition in the elderly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chemosensory impairment does not diminish eating pleasure and appetite in independently living older adults. Arganini, C., Sinesio, F.[2018]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7802608/

The importance of the olfactory system in human well ... The sense of smell contributes to building and maintaining well-being through supporting nutrition and social relationships.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329325002277

Olfactory training and eating behaviors: An experimental ... Olfactory input has been shown to affect food preferences and choices, as well as to play a key role in regulating appetite and food consumption (Stevenson, ...

3. medrxiv.org medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.31.25334414v1.full.pdf

Effects of food-related odors on eating behavior Abstract. Food-related odors have been examined for their influence on different stages of eating behavior. However, the existing evidence ...

4. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/395321122_Effects_of_food-related_odors_on_eating_behavior_A_systematic_review

(PDF) Effects of food-related odors on eating behavior The results showed distinct patterns across outcomes: sensory-specific appetite and cravings were generally enhanced by food odor exposure, ...

5. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-healthy-subjects-hs-10-2024-31f03

Sensory Cues for Eating Behavior · Info for Participants Research shows that exposure to pleasant food odors can increase appetite and food intake, as seen in studies where ambient odors like chocolate and beef ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667268524000494

Assessing the impact of olfactory dysfunction on eating ... In this phase, sensory cues, such as (orthonasal) ambient food odors, can have a substantial influence on appetite, cravings, food preferences, and decisions ...

7. nutritionj.biomedcentral.com nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-024-01011-6

Olfactory performance and odor liking are negatively ... We suggest that suppressed olfactory perception and performance can play a unique role in child nutritional difficulties. The study inspires ...

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8899294/

Influence of Sensory Properties in Moderating Eating ... Odors direct food choice and stimulate sensory-specific appetites and taste helps to anticipate calorie and nutrient content of food. Food textures moderate ...