American adults, on average, consume 500 more calories daily than we did 30 years ago, and our children consume an average of 350 more calories. In fact, if the rate of obesity continues climbing unchecked, over 86% of adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2030.
Where are those extra calories coming from and how can we stop overeating?
An article in the online science news magazine, ScienceDaily featured the thoughts and research of behavioral scientist Brian Wansink, Ph.D.:
“We’re a nation of mindless eaters. We do so many things during the day that when it comes to food we can just nibble and nibble and nibble, and eat and eat and eat.”
According to Dr. Wansink, we often don’t notice our overeating, and the reason is more psychological than physical. Basically, it’s all in our heads…
Here are some facts about overeating noted by Dr. Wansink:
Larger plates mean larger servings; up to 25%-28% more.
Watching tv during meals can cause you to eat up to 40% more food.
It takes 20 minutes after we eat before the stomach says to the brain: Hey! We’re full.
Visual cues matter when it comes to monitoring our food intake. For example, students at an all-you-can eat buffet, ate chicken wings nonstop when their tables were continually cleared. They simply didn’t notice how much they were actually eating because there was no evidence in front of them.
In contrast, people at buffets who gather everything they plan to eat, including dessert, before they sit down, eat 14% less than those who just take a little at a time and go back and forth for seconds.
Adults and children pour up to 76% more liquid into short, wide glasses than they do in tall, slender glasses. This is because we focus more on height instead of width, what’s known as the vertical-horizontal illusion.
When a snack-food is labeled “low-fat,” people tend to eat more of it, even if they don’t like it that much. One study found that individuals given low fat granola ate 35% more than those given regular granola. So, they ended up consuming 192 more calories than the regular granola group!
Low fat cookies have only 30% less calories than regular cookies.
Low fat granola has only 12% less calories than regular granola.
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Before Starting a New Diet Plan, Here’s Some Tips to Stop Overeating:
Get your oversized serving bowls, large plates, and wide-mouth glasses out of the cupboard. Hide them all in the garage if you have to, or give them away to your skinny friends and see what happens…
Eat without distraction. Stop eating on the couch and in front of the tv. Make this a new rule around your house: Eat at the dinner table. Make meals and conversation the focus of dinnertime.
Eat your meals slowly; take at least 20 minutes to be aware if you are full. Then you’ll know if you really want that second helping.
Don’t munch on snacks straight from their packaging. Put the amount you want to eat in a bowl or on a plate, so you can see exactly how much you’re putting into your body.
Watch calories at least as much as you watch fat. Read the backs of food labels and ask yourself if you could just cut back on the portion sizes of your favorite snack foods.
For more weight loss tips and ideas, check out:
Low-Fat Yogurt Recipes For a Healthy Diet
No Carb Diet: Where To Find Gluten Free And Zero Calorie Pasta
15 MINUTE WORKOUT: 5 MINUTE EXERCISE ROUTINES TO BLAST FAT.
Desk Exercises (With or Without The Desk)
Alternatives For Sugar Cravings: I Dare You!
11 Ways To Cut Calories Without Actually Dieting
Reference:
Mindless Eating: Food Psychologist Explains the Mindless Way People Overeat.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1202-mindless_eating.htm
Technorati Tags: obesity, stop overeating, Tips to Stop Overeating
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Stop dieting; keep track of everything that you eat each day. No one wants to be overweight! The most difficult thing to be able to control to keep your weight in check is mindless grazing. It is not always easy to do, but eat to live don’t live to eat. Some type of daily regimen is needed by everyone; but do not diet, your body needs nourishment. Diets and diet aids do not help anyone! The only way to successfully lose weight and get the body that you deserve is by using the right information. This information is in the book Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps which can be ordered through the website http://www.bbotw.com Everyone who has gotten a copy of this book has lost weight and become healthier.
Maybe an apple as a snack also help. Keep our stomach full and not eat too much at the eat times
Best Exercise for Losing Weight´s last blog ..Motivation in Losing Weight
Nice one. Eating slow and frequent helps in weight loss. One must eat in a small plate so the quantity of eating food at once decreases.
The research, to be presented in a BBC television special, is not big news to scientists, however. Further, some worry that the portrayal of obesity as something you simply catch could obscure the fact that overeating remains the biggest driver of obesity.
Anne´s last blog ..Visual fatigue: the new pain of the century
Healthy eating habits can severely impact one’s weight as well as one’s overall body image. Do eat well-balanced meals throughout the day, kick starting your metabolism with breakfast as often as possible.