Wake up and smell the cookies. Effects of olfactory food-cue exposure in restrained and unrestrained eaters.

Few factors have been identified that bolster self-control processes and prevent overeating in restrained eaters; however, research on counteractive-control theory suggests that exposure to food cues may represent such a protective factor. To further investigate the effects of food-cue exposure, restrained and unrestrained eaters were randomly assigned to either a food-cue or no-cue condition, and their intake was measured. The results indicated that food-cue-exposed restrained eaters ate less than did non-exposed restrained eaters. The possible role of incidental food-cue exposure as a means for inhibiting intake in restrained eaters is explored.