Think Pizzas are Great Party Foods? Your Weight May Decide How You Assess Food!

We all have our own notion and perceptions when it comes to food. While some may consider pizzas are great party foods, other may prefer a full course meal. A new study throws light on how we perceive food and more importantly, how our weight may be linked to our personal food choices. The study, published in the journal Biological Psychology, shows that people who have a normal weight may associate healthy foods like apples with their sensory characteristics or how they make them feel while processed foods and junk food is often linked with their function or the way they are eaten. 

The researchers have found that the way our brain interacts with our body plays a role in determining how we perceive different kinds of foods. The team conducted two behavioural and electroencephalographic experiments and the results shows that people associate natural foods like apples with sensory characteristics like taste (sweetness) or the texture (softness). On the other hand, processed foods and fast food items like pizzas are usually thought of in context of the way they are eaten or served such as at parties or as picnic foods. 

Therefore, the study shows that the brain perceives the sensory characteristics of food and its function differently. This can help us understand the basis on which we tend to asses our food and make our choices. 

The study also highlighted that fact that underweight people may tend to give more attention to natural foods while those who are overweight may prefer processed foods. With the help of their study experiments, they were able to understand that even when both the groups were subjected to the same stimuli, they showed different electroencephalography signals. 

The researchers believe that these results throw light on the important of understanding cognitive neuroscience and how it could be linked with dietary disorders.