What colors affect appetite?

In the modern world, the attitude towards food intake is rather ambiguous. Residents of developed countries, who do not experience a shortage of food and products on their tables and on store shelves, often find themselves captivated by their played appetite. Advertising, colorful packaging and display cases make you want to have a snack or even a big meal much more often than the body needs. One of the stimulants of human appetite is color. The article will talk about which shades can significantly awaken the feeling of hunger, and which, on the contrary, dull the desire to eat.

When visiting cafes and restaurants, buying food in stores or snacking on fast food, you probably notice how diverse the design of the interiors of establishments, packaging and counters is. We are so used to it that we don't attach much importance to it. But often it is the influence of a certain color scheme that is a tool for stimulating the buyer.

To begin with, it is worth clarifying the concepts of hunger and appetite. The first, that is, hunger, is of a physiological nature. It occurs after signals from receptors are sent to the brain. Chemoreceptors are triggered when blood glucose levels drop. After that, the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and digestive glands are connected. In this case, a person may feel weakness, slight cramps in the abdomen or stomach. With meals and gradual satiety, hunger subsides, and a signal is sent to the brain that glucose levels are restored.

Appetite is more associated with psychological factors. It can occur when the human body is not at all depleted.Emotions, smells, and surroundings are capable of triggering an appetite and a psychological desire to please oneself with tasty things. It is from the physiologically unjustified desire to eat that many modern inhabitants of megalopolises suffer. And the color can either stimulate or reduce the urge to snack or eat a full meal.

So, let's start with those shades that can enhance our desire to eat. The vibrant colors of the warm spectrum make the food appealing. Plus, they grab attention in and of themselves. Fast food stalls are often colored red, yellow or orange and display cases with pastries or cakes are illuminated. Also, packages with various products often have exactly warm colors.

• Red color is the strongest appetite stimulant. It excites the nervous system, is able to slightly increase blood pressure and speed up metabolic processes. However, too bright red color can negatively affect appetite, as it in large quantities leads to excessive irritation of the psyche. And in such a state, a person becomes not up to food, he often experiences anxiety or even an unconscious panic. Therefore, in the interiors of cafes and restaurants, muted red or its softer shades are most often used. But bright red most often decorates the windows of bistros and fast food stalls. In this case, the point of sale attracts the attention of the buyer, but he himself does not stay there for a long time.
• Orange color can quickly cheer you up. It evokes positive emotions and joy. This warm shade is softer and therefore does not over-stimulate. Family cafes and canteens are often decorated in this color. In a comfortable environment, people are ready to stay long enough without discomfort, while the color awakens interest in food.
• Almost on a par with orange in its ability to stimulate appetite is also yellow Colour. It is a warm shade associated with summer, sun, sand. Yellow fills with joy, and a happy and cheerful person always has a pretty good appetite. Healthy fruits and vegetables are often orange or yellow: oranges, apples, carrots, pumpkins, apricots, and others. Therefore, the technique of exposure to color can be used for young children who refuse vegetables and fruits. It is enough to compose a composition of these bright products on a plate, and they will become much more attractive for the baby.
• Shades of green are the most natural. They are associated with freshness. Unlike the three previous colors, green does not cause excitement, but, on the contrary, calms the nervous system. Therefore, it can be used in cases where you do not need to arouse excessive interest in food, but you just need a comfortable environment for a quiet meal. In this state, a person estimates the degree of their satiety much better and, most likely, will not overeat.

We talked about the shades that enhance and stimulate the desire to eat. Now let's move on to those colors that have the opposite effect on the psyche.

The colors can be used for another purpose, namely, to suppress the momentary urge to snack once again. Of course, this property of some shades is not at all in the hands of manufacturers, and they are unlikely to actively use them in catering establishments or in the design of product wrappers. But knowing which shades reduce the urge to eat can help you control your food intake at home by creating the right atmosphere in your dining room.

Often, the problem of excess weight becomes very serious for a modern person. Many have been struggling unsuccessfully with the extra pounds for years. If the increase in body weight is not a consequence of any physiological disease, alternative psychological methods can come to the aid of those wishing to lose weight and control their figure.

So, the colors and shades that discourage the desire to eat.

• The strongest suppressive effect is possessed by blue and purple. These cool colors slow down the metabolic processes in the body. They also have a strong calming effect. There are very few natural foods that have this coloration, so these shades are not associated with anything edible.
• Gray the color is neither exciting nor soothing. The interior decorated with this color is perceived as impersonal and unattractive, one does not want to linger in it. Typically, business buildings, meeting rooms and offices are decorated in metallic and gray tones. This is a rather austere color that does not evoke pleasant emotions, not conducive to communication.
• Brown has an unappetizing and inedible nature. Of course, coffee shops are often decorated with it, but in this case it gives an association only for two products: coffee and chocolate. In general, it is more likely to suppress appetite. At least, you will definitely not want to eat for a long time in the presence of a large amount of brown around you. Therefore, this shade can be quite successfully used to reduce the urge to snack once more.
• Completes the rating of "unappetizing" flowers black... Black is not conducive to fun, and for many it is even associated with mourning.

By analogy with cafes and shops, you can create a color atmosphere in your kitchen that will help regulate your appetite.

When we eat, we also perceive the appearance of cutlery, plates, saucers and cups. By choosing the color of the dishes correctly, you can help yourself to influence your appetite in the right direction. So, plates of warm shades will help stimulate it. They are best used for first courses, as well as when feeding babies who are picky about food and eat poorly. Foods on red, yellow and orange saucers will appear in a warm spectrum and will be more attractive.

White is almost neutral in terms of its influence on the desire to eat. However, a very large number of tableware made of china is of this particular color. The fact is that on such a plate, food becomes more noticeable, and attention is focused on it. Therefore, in the case of white or very light dishes, the color of the products should be manipulated. For example, on white plates, stews of bright vegetables, fresh salads, and fruit platter look advantageous and appetizing.

Those who, on the contrary, seek to reduce the amount of food consumed, can be advised to use dishes of the cold spectrum: blue, purple, blue. Black plates will also steal your hunger for food.

Above, the principle of the action of flowers has already been briefly described using examples of the interiors of cafes and store counters. For decorating a home dining room or kitchen, you can follow approximately the same rules.

• Pale orange and yellow shades will create a cozy and calm atmosphere.
• It is not very pleasant to eat in the midst of a rich and bright red color, as it quickly overexcites. Therefore, having lunch or dinner with your family can become simply uncomfortable. But muted shades of red will bring a romantic touch and will have a stimulating effect on the digestive system.
• Cold colors suppress interest in food. They can be used when you have a weight control need and are struggling with an excessive urge to eat more.
• A metallic and gray kitchen will also help curb your pent-up appetite.
• A similar effect can be achieved by using a large amount of black in the interior of the dining room. But don't forget about its overwhelming influence. If you overdo it with it, then the kitchen will turn into a very gloomy and uncomfortable room.

If you are not planning on changing the color scheme of the entire dining room or kitchen, you can decorate it with details of the appropriate shades. For example, hang paintings or photographs on the walls with large bright sunflowers, red roses and other flowers.

You can also experiment with the color of the tablecloth and choose either a warm and bright shade, or, on the contrary, cold. Thus, you will get a certain effect while eating at the table. Decorate your dining room with a large wall clock. If their dial is blue or light blue, they will bring calmness to the atmosphere. Contemplation of these hours will help to refrain from overeating.