Presentation Details
Olfactory nudging promotes short-term weight loss

Victoria Esparza1, Angela Pfammatter2, Valentina Parma3, Surabhi Bhutani1.

1San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.2University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.3Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Abstract


Odors guide food choices, yet olfactory strategies are not included in current interventions for weight loss. We posit that short and often unconscious exposure to “healthy” food odors can serve as an "olfactory nudge" (ON) to increase healthy food intake, while prolonged unconscious exposure to “unhealthy” odors elicits olfactory-specific satiety via “olfactory habituation” (OH). To explore the effectiveness of these strategies, we conducted a two-week pilot intervention with normosmic  adults with overweight/obesity  (N= 6F; 83% white; age:21-55 years old, BMI:28.8±3.3). The results showed a significant effect of olfactory strategies on weight loss [F(1,12)=6.591, p=0.02]. Individuals in the ON group (exposed to banana/strawberry fruit smells before lunch and dinner), experienced an average weight reduction of -1.6±1.1 lb. Similarly, the OH group(10-minute habituation to banana pudding/strawberry cake smells), achieved a weight reduction of -1.2±0.4 lb. There were no significant differences between the two olfactory conditions (p=0.89). The control group exhibited a smaller overall weight reduction of -0.3±1.8 lb, which was significantly lower than that of the ON group (p=0.05), but not significantly different from the OH group (p=0.16).  All groups demonstrated a significant increase in Olfactory Awareness post-intervention (V = 26.5, p=0.04). The Self-Report Behavioral Automaticity Index (SBAI) showed a nominal increase only in the olfactory groups. No significant changes emerged in the diet intake measured through a 3-day food diary, Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ), and Food Craving Questionnaire (FCQ), post-intervention. These preliminary findings support the use of olfactory behavioral strategies to influence weight loss.

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