Hunger on the Mind
A rumbling stomach affects how people make decisions, study says.
British researchers found that hunger can significantly influence the choices we make. For the study, reported in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, a group of 50 participants answered questions at two separate times, once 2 hours after eating and once after fasting for 10 hours. Participants had the option of immediately receiving a reward (including money) or waiting for a more substantial reward later on.
When the volunteers were hungry, they often focused on the short-term rewards, indicating that the mental decision-making process gets more present-focused when people are famished. So if you have a big choice to make—like deciding if you really need that fancy new gadget—you may want to tame the hunger monster before you hand over your credit card.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
