Curbing Mindless Eating
Dr. Brian Wansink PhD of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab is campaigning to end mindless eating. You know, munching entire tubs of popcorn without even being hungry; nibbling on M&Ms while waiting for someone; unknowingly finishing the kid's leftovers. Just 100 extra mindless calories a day can contribute to gaining ten pounds of undesired body fat a year.
Dr. Wansink recommends we curb weight gain by making mindful decisions about the calories that end up in our mouths. Wansink reported we make about 250 food decisions a day. We decide not only what we eat (turkey or tuna sandwich? Low-fat or regular mayo?), but also how much (half or whole sandwich?). He has determined that we eat 92 percent of what we serve ourselves. Think about it: When do you stop eating? Chances are, you stop eating when your plate is empty. That means, we eat with our eyes, not with our stomachs--we don't always stop when our stomach signals it is full.
To prove this point, Wansink masterminded an interesting experiment with a refillable soup bowl that never emptied. (It was refilled via hidden tubing connected to a big soup pot.) Compared to the group who ate from standard bowls, the 30 adults who (unknowingly) ate from the refillable bowls consumed about 73 percent more soup. And believe it or not, they did not rate themselves as feeling any more full. (How can you be full if the bowl still has half the soup in it?) Only two people realized the bowl refilled-one dropped his napkin (and noticed the tubing); the other tried to pick up the bowl (surprise!).
Wansink created another experiment to determine if serving size influences the amount of food a person eats. He arranged for a movie theater to announce "everyone gets free popcorn and soda today because it is "Illinois History Month." The movie-goers were given five-day old popcorn (yucky). Yet, even though the popcorn tasted bad, the people still ate 35 percent more when they were given a big bucket of popcorn compared to a smaller bucket. They mindlessly ate the stale popcorn slowly (in contrast to a previous experiment in which the movie-goers quickly devoured fresh popcorn).
Based on these and other experiments, Wansink believes a simple way to cut calories (and control weight) is to buy smaller bowls, plates and also glasses. He reports you'll drink less if you pour your beverage into a tall, thin glass compared to a short fat glass. And you'll eat less pasta if it's served from a small dish rather than a large platter.
Wansink has noticed that mindless eaters fall into categories, those who:
- Eat too much at meals
- Graze mindlessly throughout the day
- Overeat at restaurants or special occasions
- Mindlessly eat at their desks or in their cars
If you relate to one or more these areas (and if you want to lose body fat), your goal should be to focus on that bad eating habit. You don't have to change your whole lifestyle. You just might need to cook less dinner so there are no leftovers, or take the candy jar off your desk.
Wansink recommends mindless eaters commit to 28 days of changing their fattening eating habit. Then, after 28 days, they can go on to improve another bad habit (such as drinking less soda or crunching on baby carrots instead of chips).
Borrowed From: Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics)
|
