Hunger Shifts Food Choices: Study
A recent study by Jennifer March and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Gluth from the University of Hamburg reveals that hunger significantly impacts our food selection behaviour. Published in 'eLife' on March 25, 2025, the study titled 'The Hungry Lens: Hunger Shifts Attention and Attribute Weighting in Dietary Choice' sheds light on how our hunger levels influence what information we consider when choosing food.
The research, which used eye-tracking and a computer-aided decision-making model, involved 70 adults making food choices in both hungry and satiated states. Dr. Lieselot Hudders, who reported the findings, noted that hungry people tend to pay less attention to nutritional value and health information, instead focusing on visually and taste-wise attractive food options.
Interestingly, decisions about food are made faster when a person is hungry. This suggests that simple nutritional labeling may not be enough to promote healthy eating decisions among hungry individuals. The study suggests that future health-promoting measures should aim to draw attention to healthy aspects of food to counteract the effects of hunger.
The study, conducted by Jennifer March and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Gluth, highlights the significant influence of hunger on our food selection behaviour. It underscores the need for more effective labeling and presentation of food information to promote healthier choices, especially among hungry individuals.
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