囧研究：氣味想象力發達者更易增重

People who can vividly imagine smells, such as freshly baked cookies or even wet paint, tend to weigh more than people whose olfactory imaginations are less sharp, new research finds.
新的研究發現，氣味想象力發達的人，不管是想象新鮮出爐的餅乾還是未乾的油漆散發出來的味道，體重要比嗅覺想象力不那麼發達的人重。

The ability to imagine odors varies greatly among people, ranging from people who can easily imagine the delicate, sweet aroma of a rose bouquet to those who struggle to recall the scent of a tuna casserole.
不同的人氣味想象能力很不一樣，有的人輕易地就能想象出玫瑰花的香甜可人，而有的人卻很難回想起金槍魚砂鍋的味道。

Researchers wondered whether people who adeptly imagine smells, especially food odors, also tend to struggle with obesity. Previous research has shown that food cravings are associated with obesity, and that the intensity of people's food cravings is related to the vividness of their mental images of food, said the new study's lead researcher, Barkha Patel, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry at Yale University.
研究者好奇，氣味想象擅長者，尤其是想象食物的氣味，這一類人會不會更容易有肥胖的困擾。早前就有研究顯示，好吃的人通常會跟肥胖扯上關係，而對食物渴望的程度與食物在其腦海中成像的鮮活度也是相關的，耶魯大學精神病學博士後巴卡·帕特爾如是說。

"People who were obese (had higher BMIs) were better able to imagine odors — both food and nonfood odors," Patel told Live Science in an email.
帕特爾在給Live Science的郵件中寫道，“肥胖的人(即身體質量指數高的人)想象氣味—食物和非食物的氣味的能力要更高。”

"Being better able to imagine odors could intensify the craving experience, which in turn would encourage food consumption," Patel said. "However, if the ability to imagine odors was disrupted by something like a walk, for example, perhaps cravings would diminish, and we wouldn't feel the need to eat."
“氣味想象能力更強的人其對食物的渴望程度可能會更強，這樣一來會刺激進食,”帕特爾說道，“但是，如果氣味想象的能力受到諸如散步的干擾，或許對事物渴望的程度就會下降，而我們就不會有要吃東西的慾望。”

The finding may help researchers develop weight-loss programs better tailored for individuals, Patel said.
帕特爾稱，這一發現或許能幫助研究者爲不同的人量身定製出不同的減肥方案。