variety and sensory specific satiety

Question 1

Studies that show variety increases risk of weight

Answer 1

Increasing variety in taste, texture, appearance and choice of
foods can increase food intake, and is linked with higher
weight.
1. Pliner et al (1980) – different spreads on bread
2. Bellisle & LeMagnen (1980) – Pizza, sausage rolls & egg
roll (together or singularly)
3. Rolls, van Duijvenvoorde & Rolls (1984) – Four different
courses vs. four courses of the same food (40% increase)
4. Wisniewski et al (1992) – Eat to satiety. Presented with
the same or a different food. 3-fold increase in
consumption of new food.

Question 2

studies which show fussiness increases obesity risk

Question 3

what is sensory specific satiety

Answer 3

Sensory specific satiety (Rolls, 1986)
❖Changes in pleasantness occur rapidly (within 2 minutes of consumption)
and last up to an hour (Hetherington, Burley, & Rolls, 1989).
❖The decrease in enjoyment and intake of the already-consumed food is
driven by a reduction in both liking and wanting of the food (Brunstrom
& Mitchell, 2006; Havermans et al., 2009; Raynor & Epstein, 2001).
❖Suggests that it occurs a result of sensory stimulation rather than
postabsorbtive affects (largest changes occur before meal absorbed).
❖Important impact on meal termination (and overall intake). Variety
undermines the process and promotes increased consumption.

Question 4

how specific is SSS

Answer 4

• Greatest changes in palatability occur for the food eaten
• Decreases in pleasantness of other foods may also occur, due to:
  ▫ Similarity in sensory properties or flavour
  ▫ Cognitively the same ‘type’ of food
  ▫ Similarity in macronutrient content
   E.g., sweet versus savoury foods; orange jelly & raspberry jelly
• Intake increases with changes in
  sensory properties
   E.g., flavour, shape, texture.
  Variation in pasta shapes → 15%
  increase in intake over 3 courses

Question 5

impact of fluids

Answer 5

• Variety promotes switching between foods, which may
  delay SSS.
• What about the impact of drinking on SSS?
  Cunningham et al., (2023)
• Video recordings of meal consumption
• Assessed patterns of bites, sips and the number of
  switches between them; also assessed SSS
• Switching between bites and sips more frequently was linked with
  greater food consumption
• Overall water intake was also linked with greater food intake.
• Suggestion that switching between food and water may promote
  energy intake by attenuating the development of SSS

Question 6

mechanisms of SSS

Answer 6

1. Habituation & monotony (Epstein et al, 1992; 1993)
   * Reduction in pleasantness of, & salivation to lemon juice over 10 trials; presentation of new stimulus dishabituated response
   * Pleasantness of water reduced among those who tasted it AND those who drank it (Rolls, 1982).
   * Habituation regardless of energy content or ingestion.
2. Central mechanisms - neurophysiological explanation
   (Rolls, 1993)
   * Satiety linked to decreased OFC neuronal response
3. A role for endogenous opioids
   * Hypothalamic release of opioid peptides associated with reward
   * Blocking the release or the reuptake of these peptides (via drugs) disrupts SSS.

Question 7

other mechanisms

Answer 7

Sensory stimulation vs satiation/satiety
The Appetizer Effect (Yeomans, 1996)
* High initial ratings of highly liked food
* Offered bland, palatable and strong flavoured
food (pasta + oregano).
* Palatable flavour → enhanced intake, eating rate
and reported appetite (the appetizer effect)
* Decline in pleasantness & desire to eat still
follows – reflects satiation
* So, sensory stimulation explains initiation not
termination

Question 8

other mechanisms pt 2

Answer 8

Sensory stimulation vs satiation/satiety
Chocolate overeaters (Hetherington & McDiarmid, 1995)
* Are highly liked foods (e.g., chocolate) resistant to satiation and SSS
among over-eaters?
* Consumed significantly more than controls
* Significantly smaller changes in pleasantness ratings, relative to those
who liked chocolate equally but didn’t overconsume
* Suggested that systematic overeating weakens satiety signals including
changes in pleasantness (opposite to usual monotony effects)
* Individual differences are important!

Question 9

Can we extrapolate SSS to consider the role of dietary variety?

Answer 9

• Hirsch et al., 2005.
  ▫ Low food intake and loss of body weight
  among military personnel when fed rations
  in the field.
  ▫ Intake of ration food among students in a
  cafeteria setting considerably higher.
  ▫ Highlighted a role for long term monotony
  (gradual decline in acceptance and caloric
  intake) and situational context to explain
  food consumption