Unintentional eating: what determines goal-incongruent chocolate consumption?

Citation

Allan JL, Johnston M & Campbell N (2010) Unintentional eating: what determines goal-incongruent chocolate consumption?. Appetite, 54 (2), pp. 422-425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.01.009

Abstract
Overeating can be automatically triggered by the presence of palatable food. When presented with an opportunity to consume unlimited chocolate under the guise of a consumer study, chocolate consumption in individuals (n=62) with healthy dietary intentions could be predicted from a psychological measure of cognitive inhibition. Individuals who were less able to suppress goal-incongruent responses in an established inhibitory task: (a) ate more chocolate and (b) had a higher body mass index than others suggesting that these individuals were less able to exert dietary control in the presence of palatable but intention-incongruent foods.

Keywords
Inhibition; Executive control; Executive functioning; Snacking; Chocolate; Dietary control

Journal
Appetite: Volume 54, Issue 2

People

Professor Julia Allan

Professor in Psychology, Psychology