Obese Adults Better At Imagining Odors

Scientists have revealed that obese adults have a greater ability to vividly imagine the smell of freshly baked cookies, popcorn and even non-food odors.

The researchers feel that the differences in this ability to imagine food odors might possibly enhance food cravings for the individual.

"These results highlight the need for a more individualistic approach in identifying factors that may increase risk for weight gain," said study lead author Barkha Patel, post-doctoral fellow at Yale School of Medicine in the US.

Sense of imagination can vary widely from one person to the next. The scientists tried to see if was possible to measure the extent to which people could vividly imagine these odors - whether it is a bouquet of roses or a freshly baked bread from the oven.

During the study, the participants were all provided questionnaires that asked them to imagine both visual and odor cues and then were told by the experts to rate the vividness of these cues.

The findings showed that people with a high BMI (Body Mass Index) were found to have a greater ability to imagine food and non-food based odors.