Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Why dessert can still appeal after a filling meal
A review in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society examines why people may still want food after a meal.
Food pleasure and motivation can differ from physical hunger, which is the body's need for food.
Researchers call pleasure from food “liking” and the drive to get or eat it “wanting.”
Both usually fall after eating, but they do not always change in the same way.
A meal can reduce interest in the foods already eaten more than in alternatives, such as sweet foods after a savory meal.
In a study of 70 young adults, liking and stated desire for savory foods fell after a savory meal, while sweet foods gained ground in relative preference; this did not mean greater absolute desire for sweets.
That shift does not prove people will eat more overall, and evidence that post-meal wanting predicts later eating is limited.
The review says further research is needed to understand how these responses affect food choices, energy intake and weight-management efforts.
A review says food pleasure and motivation can help explain why people may want food after physical hunger has faded.
It distinguishes “liking,” the pleasure associated with food, from “wanting,” the motivation to obtain or consume it.
Both usually decline after eating, but they may not change equally.
A study of 70 young adults found that after a savory meal, relative implicit wanting shifted toward sweet foods, without showing greater absolute desire for them.
The review says evidence that post-meal implicit wanting predicts later eating beyond established appetite measures remains limited.
- Who
- Researchers who wrote a selective narrative review examined food reward and eating behavior.
- What
- The review examined how food liking and wanting influence food choices and appetite. It discussed findings that relative implicit wanting may shift toward sweet foods after a savory meal.
- When
- News-Medical published the article on 2026-11-02.
- Where
- The review was published in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.
- Why
- To understand how pleasure, motivation, fullness and other influences shape food choices and eating.
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- Review outlet
- Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
- Study participants
- 70 young adults
- After a savory meal
- Liking and explicit wanting decreased, particularly for savory foods
- Sweet-food response
- Relative implicit wanting increased; this did not show greater absolute desire for sweet foods