When it’s hot, people want colder and lighter foods more; when it’s cold, they crave warmer and fattier foods—even if they don’t eat more overall.
Scientific Claim
Passive heat exposure at 32°C increases implicit wanting and explicit liking for cold and low-fat foods, while cold exposure at 16°C increases implicit wanting and explicit liking for warm and high-fat foods in healthy young men.
Original Statement
“Interestingly, implicit wanting for cold and low-fat foods at 32°C and for warm and high-fat foods at 16°C were increased during the whole exposure (P < 0·024).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The RCT design with validated psychometric tools (LFPQ) and statistically significant results (P < 0.024) supports definitive language. The claim accurately reflects the data without implying causation beyond the measured outcomes.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Twenty four-hour passive heat and cold exposures did not modify energy intake and appetite but strongly modify food reward
When people were kept warm, they wanted colder, lighter foods more; when kept cold, they wanted warmer, fattier foods more — even if they didn’t eat more overall.