Hirsch_Weight_Loss_Smell

Abstract. Despite the pervasive problem of obesity and the expenditUre of billions of dollars devising methods of losing weight. no studies have been published on the role of the olfactory sense in determining weight. To assess the effect of inhalation of certain aromas upon weight control. we studied 3193 overweight volunteers. Their average age was 43 years, average height 65 inches. and average weight 217pounds. Each was given <:'01inhale. containing a blend of odorants and instructed to inhale three times in each nostril whenever feeling hungry. New inhalers containing a new blend of odorants were supplied each month over a period of 6 months. Those subjects whose test scores showed they had good olfactory abilities and who use their inhalers frequently. ate 2 to 4 meals a day, felt bad about overeating, but did not feel bad about themselves lost nearly 5.pounds, or 2% of body weight per month. It appears possible that inhalation of certain aromas can induce sustained weight loss over a 6-month period. Key Words: Obesity-Smell-Weight reduction Introduction With a third to a quarter of the American population overweight. obesity is rampant in contemporary society. At any given time. 40% of women and 24% of men are trying to lose weight and of these, 84% of women and 76-78% of men are dieting for this purpose. In the USA, losing weight has become a national obsession. Furthermore, over 30 billion dollars at:'espent each year devising a plethora of new diets and methods for losing weight, many of which are ineffective [I). States of hunger and satiety are known to be of crucial importance in the regulation of weight, and the perception of hunger is multivariant; environmental stimuli, psychological substrate, and internal physiology all contribute a share. Everyday experiences attest to the influence of ambient aromas on our appetites; we salivate at the smell of freshly baked cookies and feel nauseated at a whiff of sewer gas. When we are hungry, foods smell better and therefore taste better. Conversely, olfactory Offprint requests 10:Alan R. Hirsch ISSN 0890-6599It: 1995Springer-Verlag New York Inc. l ability wanes when we are satiated. lessening the hedonics of further gustation [2]. . Anatomic connections of the olfactory bulb to the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the satiety center, authenticate these observations [3), as does the presence of cholecystokinin, a gastric satiety factor, as a neurotransmitter in the olfactory bulb [41.The fact that patients with acute anosmia often gain weight suggests that a failure of the olfactory-satiety feedback mechanism may be involved [5). Thus it is perhaps surprising, that amid the proliferating studies of weight regulation. no reports have been published assessing the role of olfaction. The purpose of our investigation was to explore the effect of odors in regulating body weight-specifically, to determine whether inhaling certain sweet aromas would facilitate weight loss in overweight subjects.