★ 科學研究：甜點胃係金ㄟ！ The Surprising Science behind “Dessert Stomach”

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你吃完一頓大餐，覺得自己連一口食物都吃不下了。 接著甜點送上來，你的胃口突然又出現。

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本文主講 Wesley

As a human, you may have experienced a phenomenon commonly known as “dessert stomach.” You come to the end of a large meal, feeling like you couldn’t possibly eat another morsel of food. Then dessert is offered, and your appetite suddenly reappears. __1__ What you may not know is that dessert stomach can also be referred to as “sensory-specific satiety,” or SSS.

身為人類，你可能曾體驗過一般稱為「甜點胃」的現象。你吃完一頓大餐，覺得自己連一口食物都吃不下了。接著甜點送上來，你的胃口突然又出現。彷彿你的胃早就專門為它預留了一小角。你可能不知道，甜點胃還可以被稱為「特定感覺的飽足感」（或稱為 SSS）。

SSS refers to the idea that the feeling of fullness after a large meal does not mean that your body is completely full. __2__ This is why when another food with a different flavor profile, such as a dessert, is presented , you suddenly feel able to fit more food into your body. In other words, the promise of a different type of food and your body’s desire to consume it can prevent your brain from telling your body that it is truly full.

SSS 指的是一種概念，就是吃完大餐的飽足感並不表示你的身體已經完全吃飽。其實，你的身體只是對你剛才吃的食物味道感到膩了（也就是覺得厭煩）。這就是為什麼當另一種風味特色不同的食物（比如甜點）呈上來時，你會突然覺得你能把更多的食物裝進肚子。換句話說，如果你知道你將有另一種東西可吃，再加上你的身體想吃掉它的慾望，這會阻止你的大腦告訴你的身體說它真的飽了。

Why humans experience SSS could be related to evolution . __3__ This ability was likely useful in previous times when food was not readily available. At risk of food scarcity , a person could cram their body with whatever food was at hand to create an energy store in case supplies ran low . The problem is that for many people today, food scarcity is not a present danger. __4__

人類會體驗到 SSS 的原因可能與演化有關。SSS 讓我們知道，人的身體有辦法吃過頭。這種能力在從前食物不易取得的時候可能很有用。在糧食短缺的風險下，人會拿手邊可取得的任何食物來塞滿肚子，好儲存能量以防食物供應不足。問題是，對於現今的許多人來說，糧食短缺的危險並不存在。因此，SSS 很容易導致人暴飲暴食以及胖得不健康。

So, the next time you find yourself eyeing a delicious cake or doughnut over your already bulging stomach, remember that you’ve probably already eaten your fill , regardless of how much your body seems to be screaming, “Eat it!”

所以，下次當你發現自己的肚子已經吃到鼓起來了，眼睛卻還盯著美味的蛋糕或甜甜圈時，請記住你八成已經吃飽了，別管你的身體似乎在吶喊著「吃吧！」

(A) Therefore, SSS can easily result in people overeating and experiencing unhealthy weight gain.

(B) What SSS teaches us is that the human body is capable of consuming food to excess .

(C) Instead, your body is sated —bored— with the flavor of whatever you were just eating.

(D) It would appear as if a corner of your stomach has been specifically set aside for it.

 

延伸學習｜refer to... 的其他常見用法

be referred to as...　　被稱為⋯⋯

refer to A as B　　把 A 稱作 B

1. 表「意指／指的是⋯⋯」。
   Cybercrime refers to any crime committed through the internet.
2. 表「提及⋯⋯」。
   During the interview, Mark referred to his recent trip to Changhua.
3. 表「查閱／參考⋯⋯（資料、字典等）」，相當於consult。
   In order to check her spelling, Nora referred to a dictionary.

refer 作及物動詞，亦與介詞 to 並用

1. refer sb to...　　將某人轉介給⋯⋯（以便得到協助）
2. refer sth to...　　將某事物送交／提交給⋯⋯（處理、討論等）

 

Ans: 1. D 2. C 3. B 4. A

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