As light as a lemon: How the right smell can help with a negative body image

The scent of a lemon could help people feel better about their body image, new findings from University of Sussex research has revealed. In a new study from the university's Sussex Computer-Human Interaction (SCHI) Lab, people feel thinner and lighter when they experienced the scent of a lemon. The research, carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University College of London Interaction Centre (UCLIC) and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), also revealed people contrastingly felt thicker and heavier when they smelt vanilla. The researchers believe the new findings, unveiled today at the 17th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (INTERACT 2019), could be used to develop new recommendations for therapies for people with body perception disorders or wearable technologies that could improve self-esteem. Giada Brianza, a first year PhD student at the SCHI Lab and lead researcher on this work, said: "Our brain holds several mental models of one's own body appearance which are necessary for successful interactions with the environment. "These body perceptions are continuously updated in response to sensory inputs received from outside and inside the body. "Our study shows how the sense of smell can influence the image we have in our mind of our body and on the feelings and emotions towards it.