🧠 The Milkshake Study
Mind Over Milkshakes: Mindsets, Not Just Nutrients, Determine Ghrelin Response.
Published in: Health Psychology (2011)
🥤 Study Design:
Participants drank a milkshake on two different occasions. They were told different things about the same shake each time:
- One time, they were told it was a “620-calorie indulgent treat” (very rich and high-calorie).
- The other time, they were told it was a “140-calorie sensible shake” (very light and low-calorie).
- Important: Both milkshakes were actually identical — same ingredients, same calories.
📈 What they measured:
They tracked ghrelin levels — a hormone that signals hunger to the brain.
- When ghrelin drops, you feel full and satisfied.
- When ghrelin stays high, you stay hungry.
🔥 Key Findings:
When participants believed they were drinking the indulgent, high-calorie shake, their ghrelin levels dropped significantly — they felt more full and satisfied. When they thought it was the low-calorie shake, ghrelin barely changed — they stayed hungry.
Same shake. Different mindset. Very different biological response.
💡 Why this matters:
Mindset can directly influence physiological responses, not just psychological ones. What you believe about what you're eating can affect your metabolism, hunger, satisfaction, and maybe even long-term weight loss success. It challenges the idea that "only the calories and macros" matter — your perception matters too.
Bottom line for real life:
If you view your meals as satisfying, nourishing, and "enough," your body may respond more favorably — hormonally and psychologically. Conversely, if you constantly think you're depriving yourself, your body may stay in "hungry" mode, even if you're technically eating sufficient calories.
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Crum AJ, Corbin WR, Brownell KD, Salovey P. Mind over milkshakes: mindsets, not just nutrients, determine ghrelin response. Health Psychol. 2011 Jul;30(4):424-9; discussion 430-1. doi: 10.1037/a0023467. PMID: 21574706.
