[Book] Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
I just read a really interesting book called Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think, by Brian Wansink, Ph.D. Wansink runs the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, where every year they do all kinds of studies on the "hidden persuaders" that affect how much people eat. The thesis of the book is essentially that how full we are has very little effect on when we stop eating. Instead, there are all kinds of external cues that we subconsciously use to decide when we're "full". The research is really interesting, but I'm not going to go into it here -- you can either pick the book up, or download some of the research articles available on the Mindless Eating website at mindlesseating.org.
I think a lot of the information on what makes us overeat can really be useful for those of us trying to to lose weight, so I'm going to do a few posts sharing some of what I learned from the book, focusing on environmental factors that influence us to overeat. I'll start with:
Size
Eating from large bowls and using large serving utensils fools us into taking more food than we need and fools us into feeling like we've eaten less. Using smaller serving bowls, smaller utensils, and smaller dishes will help you take smaller portions to begin with and feel more satisfied.
The same goes for eating out of a package. Wansink's studies showed time after time that people given a large bag of M&Ms or a large tub of popcorn will eat more than people given a small bag or a small tub. The book recommends that as soon as you bring snacks home from the grocery store, you divide them up into smaller portions using ziploc bags or tupperware containers. That way, when you get the snacking urge, you can just grab one bag or container, and when you've reached the end of it, you're done your snack.
Another size tip is this: you will pour more into a wide glass than you will into a tall one. It sounds totally weird, but the research holds up. Using a short, wide glass will fool you into pouring more (and therefore drinking more) than you would using a tall glass. So, if you're trying to drink more water or milk, do it out of a wide glass! If you're trying to drink less pop or alcohol, do it out of a tall glass.
These size tips can be used backwards, too. If you're trying to eat more vegetables and less pasta, try serving your salad on a dinner plate and your pasta on a salad plate.
I think a lot of the information on what makes us overeat can really be useful for those of us trying to to lose weight, so I'm going to do a few posts sharing some of what I learned from the book, focusing on environmental factors that influence us to overeat. I'll start with:
Size
Eating from large bowls and using large serving utensils fools us into taking more food than we need and fools us into feeling like we've eaten less. Using smaller serving bowls, smaller utensils, and smaller dishes will help you take smaller portions to begin with and feel more satisfied.
The same goes for eating out of a package. Wansink's studies showed time after time that people given a large bag of M&Ms or a large tub of popcorn will eat more than people given a small bag or a small tub. The book recommends that as soon as you bring snacks home from the grocery store, you divide them up into smaller portions using ziploc bags or tupperware containers. That way, when you get the snacking urge, you can just grab one bag or container, and when you've reached the end of it, you're done your snack.
Another size tip is this: you will pour more into a wide glass than you will into a tall one. It sounds totally weird, but the research holds up. Using a short, wide glass will fool you into pouring more (and therefore drinking more) than you would using a tall glass. So, if you're trying to drink more water or milk, do it out of a wide glass! If you're trying to drink less pop or alcohol, do it out of a tall glass.
These size tips can be used backwards, too. If you're trying to eat more vegetables and less pasta, try serving your salad on a dinner plate and your pasta on a salad plate.