Research
Adherence
Exposure to digital images of appetizing food (visual hunger) triggers neural, physiological, and attentional responses that increase food craving and consumption, potentially exacerbating obesity.
Be aware that scrolling through food images on social media or watching cooking shows can trigger physiological hunger responses and increase your likelihood of overeating when you do consume food. If you are trying to manage your weight, consider limiting exposure to highly appetizing food imagery, especially when you are already hungry.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
We review the growing body of cognitive neuroscience research demonstrating the profound effect that viewing such images can have on neural activity, physiological and psychological responses, and visual attention, especially in the 'hungry' brain.
Why this rating
Based on multiple neuroimaging studies (fMRI, PET, EEG) and behavioral experiments cited.
Source
Eating with our eyes: From visual hunger to digital satiation
Charles Spence et al. · Brain and Cognition · 2015
DOI 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.08.006
narrative_reviewCited 490×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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