The expression “you’re not you when you’re hungry” is not backed up by science, new research has suggested.
Experts tested whether there was any truth to the popular phenomenon of not feeling oneself because of hunger, but were surprised to find it did not ring true. Researchers looked at those who were dieting using an intermittent fasting strategy – skipping breakfast or another meal each day – and compared their mental skills against those who ate regularly.
A new study reveals there’s no evidence that fasting up to 12 hours has no impact on cognitive performance.Credit: Getty Images
Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular with many people choosing an eight- or 10-hour window for consuming meals. But a new study published by the American Psychological Association has found the eating pattern is unlikely to cloud most adults’ thinking in the short term, despite a common perception it does.
The phrase “you’re not you when you’re hungry” was popularised by adverts for the Snickers chocolate bar, featuring people who take on different personas until they stop their hunger by snacking on a Snickers.
Slang terms such as “hangry” have developed off the back of it, where someone attributes their anger to being hungry. However, the researchers, led by experts at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, found brain function was “remarkably stable” across a range of tests.
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Scientists surprised by findings
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 71 existing studies comparing cognitive performance in healthy adults who were either fasting or had recently eaten, and looked at factors such as memory recall, decision-making, response speed and accuracy.
David Moreau, associate professor of psychology at the University of Auckland, was the study’s lead author. “While fasting has become trendy over the years, there is widespread concern, often reflected in common sayings like ‘you’re not you when you’re hungry’, that going without food might acutely impair mental sharpness,” he says.
