According to new study, overweight people have an augmented sense of smell for food as compared to other non-food connected scents.

Boffins from the University of Portsmouth stated that their discoveries may clarify why it's tricky for a few people to remain in shape.

Researchers already know that part of the brain, which routes info concerning odour is also linked to the brain's feeding centres.

To reach conclusion, Stafford and his group embark to study if a skewed sense of smell could be partly to blame.

His group asked 64 volunteers to participate in different experiments, which examined their smelling capability and they discovered that partakers seem to be slightly better at sensing odours of food after they have consumed before when they are hungry.

Stafford thinks that it could be the body's system of discovering and refusing foods no longer required to uphold the accurate balance of energy and stops an individual consuming more than necessary.

His group discovered that individuals who are obese have a far sharpened smelling sense for food as compared to people who are thin, mainly after they have eaten a full meal.

"It could be speculated that for those with a propensity to gain weight, their higher sense of smell for food related odours might actually play a more active role in food intake. Hopefully this research will stimulate more work in this area with the potential to help those who struggle with their weight and those who treat people with weight problems," he added.

The results of the study are published in the journal 'Chemical Senses'.