A few days ago at work, a fascinating article was circulated from the Nutrition Action Health Letter (published by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest) regarding food serving size, general habits, and consumption patterns.
The gist of the article is that the more food we see, the more food we eat regardless of hunger primarily due to mindless eating and a general feeling of being unaware of our hunger signals. In large part, I blame industry for creating the level of gluttony and outrageous eating habits we are seeing today which has absolutely contributed to the increase in chronic diseases we are seeing (Type II Diabetes, Stroke, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Hyperlipidaemia, Colitis, Crohn’s, Renal Diseases, etc).
Rate of Type II Diabetes in the United States: 1980 – 2010
While industry certaintly plays a role, there is a lot we can do as individuals to take better control of our health…and an improvement in the amount of food ingested can significantly improve the way you think, feel, move, and life.
In the Nutrition Action Health Letter, author of the book Mindless Eating, Brian Wansink, was interviewed and he reviewed the major findings from his research surrounding eating habits, serving sizes, and the concept of mindless eating (eating without paying attention to hunger signals). Here are some interesting observations that might make you think, and look twice before you eat.
- When people are given larger servings, they eat more. In a study where people were given a large bucket of popcorn and others a small bucket, it was found that those who received the larger bucket ate 34% more popcorn.
- Variety prompts increased consumption. When people were presented with candy of different colours (as compared a single colour) they ate 40% more.
- Chicken Wings Are Insightful! When the bones of the wings consumed were removed from the table (as compared to leaving them on the table in the control group), participants ate more.
- Health Labels Prompt Increased Consumption. Labeling a product “low-fat” prompts people to eat more than they would have a normal product.
- Healthy Restaurants = Underestimation of Calories. When someone eats at Subway, and then at McDonald’s, they are more likely to underestimate the number of calories consumed at the Subway meal.
- You are likely to eat more when eating a meal with a fast eater.
THE DAILY DL (Dalai Lama)
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