A good sense of smell pays rich dividends

It’s an undisputed fact that our sense of smell makes a huge difference to how we live and even survive on a day to day basis.

Several years ago when I was working in an engineering company, I bought a sandwich for myself and my boss for our lunch. When I opened it up, it smelled off. When I told my boss about my sandwich she asked me to check if hers was okay since she was unable to because she had lost her sense of smell years ago. So, it’s clear that being able to smell things is not just about being able to smell flowers or fragrances but sometimes about to stay alive and well. For example, aside from inadvertently eating food that has gone off because you were not able to smell that it had, our sense of smell can alert us to things such as gas leaks or if something is burning. In fact, for those who are partially sighted or cannot see at all, their sense of smell is critical to life.

But our sense of smell can do a lot more than that. It can also have a psychological effect on our brains and its memory. What we smell can invigorate us, make us excited or make us feel more depressed. A tip often given by estate agents to sellers of homes is to roast coffee beans in the house right before a potential buyer shows up. The smell is inviting and every time the potential buyer smells coffee he will be reminded of your house and the inviting aroma that wafted in through the front door as he went in. Maybe he can imagine himself making coffee in your kitchen. Perfume and fragrances can have the same effect. For example a perfume can evoke fond memories of a past or memories you prefer not to have. So too can the smell of certain foods.

Whilst a lot of this appears to be factual and based on experiences, a lot of theories on smell and how they affect our body image seem to be quack theories with little or no facts behind them. Most of them are just based on assumptions and how a tiny group of individuals were affected or how they reacted to certain smells.

A theory now put forward is that smelling the scent of citrusy fruits, like lemons and oranges, can make people feel thinner and lighter in weight. On the other hand, the scent of vanilla apparently does the exact opposite. It can make people feel heavier and larger. I thought this rather odd since most perfume manufacturer processes begin with vanilla as the base. Has there always been a subliminal message behind every perfume? Some way to make people feel bad about their appearances so they give themselves retail therapy by spending more on clothes and perfumes? If this is the case, the only people who stand to benefit are the retailer and perfumers.

In terms of the edible factor, citrus is considered better for us because it’s an ingredient often used in healthier versions of foods whereas vanilla is a key ingredient in, not just perfumes, but cakes and pastries. I dare say most people who think of vanilla think of ice creams, cakes, pastries and anything else that is naughty but very tasty. But when people think lemons, limes and oranges they probably think of something that cuts through the fat and sweetness of other less healthy options. Maybe that is where their perception of their body image is coming from? Surely they are not lighter or thinner just because they smelt lemons? It is more an association that lemons are healthy whereas vanilla may not be because of the sorts of foods in which it is incorporated for its taste.

I’m sure most people are smart and will not give themselves a false sense of security about their body types by purposely smelling lemons. The last thing we want is for people who are overweight to read this research and assume that simply smelling a lemon will help them lose weight. If it’s about feeling better about their bodies momentarily, then it’s OK, but if they need to drop a few, then merely smelling a lemon will not help them.