Picture the scene: you've just gorged on a huge roast dinner with all the trimmings - or perhaps it's a double cheeseburger and large fries - yet you still manage to have space for a hearty helping of apple crumble.
The logistics behind this phenomenon have always been a mystery to us, but now scientists have declared that 'dessert stomach' is actually a thing - and suddenly the world makes sense again. We're calling it DS for short.
Professor Barbara Rolls, from Penn State University in the US has researched the topic over the last 40 years and found that something called sensory-specific satiety is the reason we can squeeze in dessert, according to the Daily Mail.
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The theory is that it is all down to evolution, because over time our bodies have limited our appetite for eating the same food, to encourage us to eat a varied diet with plenty of nutrients.
The research has shown that whilst we can get sick of eating the same food item, our appetite will increase when it's switched - from a burger to say... a delicious chocolate fudge cake.
It means that the more you eat of something, the less you will like it which will lead to the impression you feel full - but it just means perhaps you've had enough of that specific taste or texture.
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Professor of nutritional sciences Barbara Rolls told the Daily Mail: "The decline in pleasure you derive from food is specific to the food you have been eating, or other foods that are similar".
"So, while you might lose your appetite for that food, a different food will still be appealing. That's why you always have room for dessert."
Which is why next time you feel genuinely shocked you managed to squeeze in that slice of birthday cake or tuck into a doughnut, you now know that your body has trained you that way.
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Thanks very much evolution - we'll get back to our cakes now.
Featured Image Credit: UnsplashTopics: Science, You, Food And Drink