Author Susan Burton struggled with disordered eating for decades. "Hunger was something that I believed protected me and gave me power," she says. Anna Kurzaeva/Getty Images hide caption
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Would you eat a cricket? Parth Shah hide caption
Brian Wansink demonstrates his "bottomless bowl of soup" — used to show that people eat more when served in a bowl secretly replenished from the inside — after he was awarded a 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in 2007 at Harvard University. Wansink made a name for himself producing pithy, palatable studies that connected people's eating habits with cues from their environment. Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Color really does impact our perception of taste — even if the ingredients are otherwise the same, scientists say. It's something candy companies use to their advantage. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
Would having to wait 25 seconds for your snack prompt you to make healthier choices at the vending machine? New research suggests the answer is yes. M. Spencer Green/AP hide caption
Sure, seeing a cockroach on your fries would turn you off eating them. But what about seeing a photo of a cockroach flash by before you see a photo of fries? Flickr hide caption
Environmental cues — like the color, size and shape of the dinnerware, the music playing in the background and the lighting in the dining room — can alter how we experience food and drink. For example, research suggests that serving food on a red plate tends to reduce the amount diners eat. Ariel Zambelich/NPR hide caption
Feeling blue? That may not be a great excuse to tuck into some mac and cheese. iStockphoto hide caption
Cheese might take on a whole new flavor when you use a plastic utensil. Elizabeth Willing/Courtesy Flavour hide caption