Why Is There Always Room for Dessert Even After a Hearty Meal? Unveiling Satiety's Sweet Temptation

Sitting at a restaurant after a satisfying meal, feeling overly full and tight, one usually does not eat more. Yet, when the dessert selection comes, their appetite resurfaces. What causes this renewed hunger sparked by sweet treats?

Variety Is the Key

Len Epstein, a distinguished professor of pediatrics at SUNY, suggests that the key is variety. People often stop eating a meal due to monotony and familiarity, but introducing new flavors, scents, or textures can rekindle appetite and override the sensation of fullness, Epstein explained.

Epstein and other experts demonstrated this phenomenon, known as sensory-specific satiety, in a study published in 2011. They employed 32 women and assigned them into two groups who were asked to consume macaroni and cheese meals either five times in one week or once a week for five weeks.

Their findings reveal that the women in the experiment who ate it every day were less likely to eat the same meal again when compared to those who only eat it once a week.

Moreover, Epstein somewhat repeated the experiment in 2013 with some modifications. This time, Epstein categorized 31 children into three sets: the first group consumed the same macaroni and cheese for five days, the second tried different macaroni and cheese brands, and the third had a selection of energy-dense foods such as nuggets and cheeseburgers.

The group with varied choices consumed notably more than the mac-and-cheese-exclusive group. This trend applies to encountering sweets after salty meals or dining at buffets. But Epstein clarified that introducing new foods can result in overeating and contribute to excessive consumption.

Why People Love Variety in Flavor?

The human inclination for variety in food selection has intrigued experts as a potential evolutionary adaptation aimed at ensuring the intake of vital nutrients like vitamins and proteins from diverse food groups. After all, humans need a well-rounded variety of nutrients for a well-functioning body and mind.

But just like Epstein, Penn State's Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior head Barbara Rolls pointed out that the challenge of having variety is when there are too many calorie-dense foods offered in a wide array.

She emphasized that the issue comes out with this extensive range of high-calorie options when the surge in variety has unintentionally led to overconsumption, which may result in other health issues, such as obesity.

For instance, a person who has just eaten a sugary dessert experiences a surge of dopamine, which is a brain chemical linked to pleasure and reward. That triggers the person to make consumption of dessert habitual as it results in more dopamine, creating a loop of craving that increases the likelihood of that person reaching for dessert every after a meal.

Therefore, those aiming to reduce their late-night unhealthy snack cravings should leverage their sensory-specific satiety by maintaining nutritious, low-calorie options. Doing so not only gives them variety of flavors but also make them healthier in the process.