Luc Marlier, FRANCE

“Can faint ambient odours influence food choices and fight against obesity?”

The ability of odours to influence behaviour is increasingly well documented in the scientific world. In this session Luc will present several studies to demonstrate that certain odours can modify our perception of foods and regulate our appetite. Certain aromatic ambience creations based on food-related smells and diffused with low intensity may also affect our food choices, limit our consumption of highly calorific foods and increase diversity in our eating habits. Diffusion of food-related aromas in the context of a meal may thereby constitute an original and innovative strategy for fighting excess weight and obesity.

Biography

Luc Marlier is a research scientist at the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), Strasbourg, France. He is member of the Laboratory ICube and manages a research group whose program focuses on the role of early olfactory and gustatory experiences on later food preferences and food choices. Current research studies focus on the following areas: 1) cognitive processing of olfactory and gustatory stimulations using fMRI techniques; 2) non conscious integration of odours of very low intensity; 3) impact of ambient odours on food preferences and choices in normal and overweight adults; 4) impact of ambient odours on the well-being and health of premature newborns. He is author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed research papers and an internationally recognized speaker on the ontogeny of olfactory preferences and its implications for health and nutritional programming.