Why Can I Always Make Room For Dessert: Explained

One thing about me is that I’m always going to at least have a peek at the dessert menu. Even if I’m full, I know that I could definitely make a little room for a sticky toffee pudding or maybe even just a little bit of ice cream.

It just finishes the meal off nicely, y’know?

Why do I have room, though? I couldn’t possibly have another bite of my main meal, my stomach feels full and I am feeling relatively sleepy. All of this points to somebody who has had enough to eat.

And yet. Just a little cake for me, ta.

Turns out, there is actually science behind this urge.

Writing for The Conversation, Michelle Spear who is a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bristol says: “The stomach is designed to stretch and adapt. As we begin to eat, it undergoes ‘gastric accommodation’: the smooth muscle relaxes, creating extra capacity without a major increase in pressure.

“Crucially, soft and sweet foods require very little mechanical digestion. A heavy main course may make the stomach feel distended, but a light dessert, such as ice cream or mousse, barely challenges its workload, so the stomach can relax further to make space.”

Spear went on to say that while our bodies may not be physically hungry, there is of course the urge to eat something because it’s enjoyable to eat, known as “hedonic hunger”.

She explains: “Sweet foods are particularly potent in this respect. They activate the brain’s mesolimbic dopamine system, heightening motivation to eat and temporarily weakening fullness signals.

“After a satisfying main course, physiological hunger may be gone, but the anticipation of a sugary treat creates a separate, reward-driven desire to continue eating.”

This makes so much sense. It does feel like a sweet little reward at the end of a sit-down dinner.