Fast Food For Thought: An Exploration of the Effectiveness of Three Brief Food Craving Reduction Techniques

The easy access to, and sheer abundance of high-calorie, palatable foods is thought to be a key driver of the rapidly increasing obesity rate in recent decades. Food cues, such as visual images (e.g., TV advertising and magazine advertisements) are known to elicit food cravings (an intense urge or desire to consume a specific food). Cravings are a hallmark of many food-related disorders, contributing to overeating and loss of control. However, there are very few effective, brief, methods of reducing food cravings. The purpose of the present study was to assess three brief food-craving reduction strategies: 1) cognitive reappraisal, 2) mindfulness and 3) dynamic visual noise. One hundred and twenty university students participated in the computer-based study, under the supervision of a researcher, in laboratories at the University of Queensland. First, food cravings were elicited by exposing participants to images of appetizing foods (e.g., chocolate cupcakes). Participants were then randomly assigned to one of the three food craving reduction techniques. Food cravings were measured by having participants rate their desire to eat: 1) before exposure to the food cues, 2) before and 3) after, the craving reduction condition. Participants also completed self-report measures of personality, eating behaviour, and trait-mindfulness. It was found that exposure to food images significantly increased desire to eat, indicating that the food cues were effective in eliciting cravings. As hypothesised, the desire to eat was significantly reduced after engaging in all three techniques. The dynamic visual noise technique resulted in the greatest reduction in food cravings. The dynamic visual noise technique was more effective for individuals who reported being frequently affected by cues that trigger food cravings