Many of us are all too familiar with the following situation: you’ve just finished your meal, but as soon as a dessert arrives, you can’t resist eating it. Why? Previous research has identified two phenomena that explain why people always seem to have room for dessert: a mechanism called ‘sensory satiation’ – getting bored with the same flavour – and the related ‘variety effect’ – bigger appetite with a bigger variety in foods.

These two phenomena were scrutinised in a series of experiments, investigating how sensory satiation and the variety effect can be influenced and what role they play in how much and what food is eaten. The results of the research, presented in this lecture, suggest that the role of these phenomena in eating behaviour is substantial and that variety and sensory satiation can be used to stimulate healthy eating.

Anouk Hendriks-Hartenveld, PhD, is Assistant Professor Eating Behaviour at Maastricht University.

This lecture is the sixth out of six in the series of Studium Generale, a collaboration between Maastricht University Campus Venlo and the Public Library of Venlo. The lectures will be held alternately in Venlo Library and Maastricht University Campus Venlo. The lectures in the Library are in Dutch, the lectures on the Campus are in English.

TUE 6 May, 7:30 PM
Lecture Hall, Nassaustraat 36, Venlo
Language: English
Free entrance

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