Vision and eating behavior in obese subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Vision is one of a number of factors influencing the amount of food consumed during a meal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of vision on the microstructure of the eating behavior of obese subjects.


METHODS
Eighteen obese subjects with a body mass index (mean +/- SD) of 39.1 +/- 6.3 kg/m(2) twice consumed a standardized test meal in excess, once with and once without a blindfold. The microstructure of the eating behavior was registered by VIKTOR, a computerized eating monitor. Subjective motivation to eat (i.e., desire to eat, hunger, satiety, and prospective consumption) was rated by visual analogue scales (VASs) before, immediately after, and then hourly up to 3 hours after the test meals.


RESULTS
The obese subjects ate 24% less food when blindfolded (359 +/- 194 g vs. 472 +/- 179 g; p < 0.01). Despite a smaller amount of food consumed when blindfolded, there were no significant differences with or without the blindfold for any of the VASs measuring subjective motivation to eat after test meals.


CONCLUSIONS
The importance of vision in regulating our eating behavior was demonstrated in this study. The obese subjects ate 24% less food blindfolded without feeling less full. Eating blindfolded could be tested as a didactic tool to make obese subjects aware of what factors affect the termination of eating.
Barkeling
Britta
B
Obesity Unit, Huddinge University Hospital, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Britta.Barkeling@medhs.ki.se
Linné
Yvonne
Y
Melin
Eva
E
Rooth
Pål
P
D000328:Adult; D001066:Appetite; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012527:Satiation; D013997:Time Factors; D014785:Vision, Ocular