Objective: To investigate the differences between eating virtual and real-life meals and test the hypothesis that eating a virtual meal can reduce hunger among healthy women.

Methods: Twenty healthy women will be recruited and partake in a randomized crossover study. The subjects will be asked to eat one introduction meal, two real meals, and two virtual meals, all containing real or virtual meatballs and potatoes. The real meals will be eaten on a plate placed on a scale which communicates with analytical software on a computer. The virtual meals will be eaten in a room, where participants are seated on a real chair in front of a real table, and fitted with the virtual-reality equipment. The eating behavior for both the real and virtual meals will be filmed. Hunger will be measured before and after the meals using questionnaires.

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI between 18.5 kg/m2 to 29 kg/m2
• "normal" physical activity (measured using the short version of the international physical activity questionnaire, IPAQ)

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnant or breastfeeding
• smoker
• temporomandibular disorder
• recent serious dental surgery (last 6 months)
• undergoing treatments known to affect appetite (e.g., use of some psychotropic drugs)
• previous history of eating disorders
• vegetarian
• aversion to the food served

Masking was not possible in the current study, since it was obvious if you were eating virtual or real food. However, participants were not aware of the aim of the study.