Which of the following is an external cue that can trigger eating without hunger?

• A. Time of Day Signaling Typical Meals
• B. Smell of Freshly Baked Bread
• C. Digestion Rate
• D. Blood Glucose Level

Answer: (B)

External cues in our environment can prompt eating even when you’re not hungry. The smell of freshly baked bread is a powerful sensory signal that can activate appetite centers in the brain and trigger cravings, often leading you to eat before true hunger shows up. This happens because olfactory input is closely tied to reward pathways and learned associations with enjoyable foods.

The other options are less about immediate external prompts to eat without hunger: the time of day signals when meals are typically eaten, but it’s more about routine than a direct trigger of hunger; digestion rate and blood glucose level are internal physiological signals that reflect how the body is processing food, not environmental triggers to start eating.