The effects of sweetener information on caloric consumption

Background: The obesity prevalence has reached epidemic levels. Studies show disruption in regulating satiety cues in rats after consuming artificial sweeteners, leading to weight gain. Increased energy intake post-consumption of artificial sweeteners has also been studied in humans, as well as psychological manipulations that subsequently impact consumption. Objectives: Through analyzing “artificial” versus “natural”, this study stipulates that the information given about a product can result in increased food intake due to perceived healthiness of the product.Method: Subjects were 67 undergraduate students, assigned to one of four groups. All received either artificially or naturally sweetened pudding. Half of the participants were told accurate information about the pudding and half were told inaccurate information. After an hour gap, subjects returned for snacks. Total calories consumed were calculated, serving as dependent variables for the study.Results: Regardless of what kind of sweetener was used, the information given to the participant influenced how much they consumed, with those believing they had consumed a natural sweetened pudding consuming the most. Conclusion: Information given influences how much one consumes; specifically, those told that they had consumed a natural pudding ate more than those who were told they had consumed an artificial pudding. Perhaps deeming a product to be “natural” implies that the product is healthful and gives the subject the perceived freedom to eat more on a subsequent occasion. This pattern, if sustained, could also contribute to the obesity epidemic.