Tip What a Bug Can Teach You About Diet Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip What a Bug Can Teach You About Diet There' s an insect that tries to copulate with beer bottles Really And he has much to teach you about diet Check this out by Nick Tumminello June 10, 2019June 6, 2021 Tags Diet & Fat Loss, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements Beware of Supernormal Stimuli Foods High reward foods are very calorie dense and often very tasty. They're generally high in added fats and/or sugar, and the reward properties of these foods may also be enhanced through the use of salt or monosodium glutamate (MSG). High reward foods are "supernormal stimuli," sometimes called a supernormal releaser. The term, which is from ethology (the study of animal behavior), refers to a behavioral phenomenon whereby animals respond more intensely to stimuli that are exaggerated versions of the normal stimuli with which they evolved (1,2,3). Here's a fun example. The Australian jewel beetle has a body that's big, long, and brown. The males are hard-wired to like certain features of the female, namely largeness, brownness, and shininess. So what's really large, brown, and shiny? A beer bottle. That's right, the males attempt to copulate with a type of discarded brown beer bottles called "stubbies." Just as animals respond more strongly, and often preferentially, to the exaggerated (supernormal) stimuli, humans can respond similarly to exaggerated versions of foods. This isn't to suggest you might mate with a pork chop. It just means these high-reward foods can act as supernormal stimuli and can lead to maladaptive eating behaviors that hinder fat loss and promote fat gain. Here are two of them: Consistent and continued consumption of high-reward foods (the supernormal stimulus) can render whole foods (a normal stimulus) less appealing or unappealing. The influence of supernormal stimuli has changed what people think is a "large" portion size for a single meal. Research in 2006 replicated a study that was done in 1984 in which participants were asked to serve themselves an amount they considered to be a typical portion of each item on a buffet table (4). The 2006 study found that peoples' perceptions of what they consider to be normal portion sizes have changed in the past 20 years. As you might guess, they've grown larger. Much larger. The researchers called this "portion distortion" (5). Exaggerated portion sizes can serve as a supernormal stimulus that distorts your perception of appropriate amounts to eat at a single meal. How to Use This Info Keeping the above two points in mind, not only can high-reward foods cause you to be less satisfied by whole foods (and therefore make adherence to a diet that emphasizes whole foods more difficult), but also more likely to eat larger portion-size meals. Given this phenomenon, it makes sense to minimize exposure to high-reward foods, or at least be continually aware of portion sizes. References Alcock, J. Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach. Sinaur Press: Oxford, MA; 1975. Staddon, J. A note on the evolutionary significance of "supernormal" stimuli. American Naturalist 109(969): 541-545, 1975. Tinbergen, N. Social releasers and the experimental method required for their study. Wilson Bulletin 60: 6-51, 1948. Guthrie, H. Selection and quantification of typical food portions by young adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 84(12): 1440-1444, 1984. Schwartz, J, and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. Portion distortion: Typical portion sizes selected by young adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 106(9): 1412-1418, 2006. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Eating Tip Exercise Pills The Real Science of Mimetics Science shows that certain compounds improve body comp on their own, but work synergistically when combined with exercise. C3G, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements, Resveratrol, Tips TC Luoma March 25 Supplements Tip Eat Dinner Die a Few Hours Later New research shows that a single unhealthy meal can have devastating effects. Diet Strategy, Nutrition & Supplements, Super Health, Tips TC Luoma April 20 Supplements Curcumin for Muscle Growth Curcumin is widely known for its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects, but it may also be anabolic. Building Muscle, Curcumin, Nutrition & Supplements Brad Dieter, PhD September 19 Diet & Fat Loss Tip Make PB& J Protein Parfait Tempted to splurge? Kill your cravings with a double dose of protein. Get the easy recipe here. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Dani Shugart May 6