Looking at pictures of delicious food for a long time can help lose weight.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology by Brigham Young University (BYU), people's appetite for a particular food can decrease if they repeatedly see numerous pictures of that food on Instagram.

The study indicates that even just viewing images of a certain food, without consuming it, can create a sense of satisfaction. When people eventually eat the food, this pre-established satisfaction diminishes their appetite for it.

Here’s how the study was conducted: First, Ryan Elder and Jeff Larson, professors at BYU, recruited 232 individuals and had them rate images of food they were shown. Half of the participants viewed and commented solely on images of salty snacks, while the other half saw only images of sweet treats. After completing the image-rating phase, all participants were given some peanuts.