What are the features of a meal that stimulate an appetite?
This is one of fifteen interactive Link Station activities. Try it out in the Hall of Human Life, then view and compare your data here. For this activity, you will choose what you want to eat from the food in the display case. See whether having fewer or more food options affects your Calorie intake.
Overview
This overview shows the change in Calories between Museum visitors’ first and second breakfasts. The vertical axis shows if visitors took more or fewer Calories. Does hunger, your sex, or age influence the tendency to eat more when a variety of food is available? The graph shows the results of 150 Museum visitors.
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Your inherited DNA drives your hunger
Ever wonder why seeing, smelling, or tasting a delicious treat makes you suddenly feel hungry? Thank your ancient ancestors. You inherited DNA from them that tell your body to be hungry when food is near.
Ancient instincts and modern foods
Our ancestors who found enough food to survive passed their food instincts on to us. These instincts are what drive us to eat today. Unlike our ancestors, we can easily find food in a matter of minutes, making our food instincts hard to ignore.