Feeling full happens in the brain as well as the stomach: Sussex professor explains in new podcast

Professor Martin Yeomans ' research is helping food producers address the growing problem of obesity. In the latest episode of Impacted , the University of Sussex podcast series about research for real change, Yeomans explains how sharing his research on satiety with industry helps manufacturers create new food products that satisfy consumers and reduce the risk of overeating. Satiety is more complex than consuming enough nutrients or filling-up with large volumes of food. In the podcast, Prof Yeomans explains how biology underpins psychological phenomena like appetite and addiction. Biological psychology, or psychobiology, helps explain why people like different foods, why they keep eating, and what makes people feel full. "If you think a product is going to be really filling, and it tastes really filling in your mouth, but it's actually quite low energy - perhaps as a formulated diet product - then the mismatch between what your brain's expecting and what your gut experiences can lead to rebound hunger and you overeat afterwards," said Yeomans. He explains why studying this interface between body and brain helps us understand motivated behaviours, like feeding and drinking, which in turn can affect the development of treatments for obesity and addiction.