Mindfulness training decreases the habituation response to persistent food stimulation.
Scientific reports April 25, 2025 Alyssa Torske, Doris Schicker, Jessica Freiherr et al. 3 citations
Frequent exposure to food cues in modern environments can desensitize sensory systems, reducing eating pleasure and prompting overeating to compensate. A 31-day web-based mindfulness training, compared to health training, may reduce this habituation response to high-calorie food stimuli in stressed, hungry individuals. The training appears to increase neural activity in brain regions for visual, olfactory, and emotion processing, potentially improving attention to food and enhancing eating pleasure, which could curb overeating and associated weight gain and disease risks.