Try a small bowl if you have to have ice cream.
Are you immune to overeating? Does the bowl size you eat out of influence how much you eat?
Many of us think we have it figured out but according to a recent article in “Nutrition Action Healthletter” with Brian Wansink, the author of Mindless Eating-Why We Eat More Than We Think, we need help. He found that even informed intelligent people who had been trained with illustrations and videotapes ate more when offered food in a large bowl versus a smaller bowl. The problem seems to be that once they have learned about it, we don’t think it will influence us. However, when it comes to eating we don’t have a good track record. He found the smarter people are the more they can be fooled, because they are overconfident.
Many people find a rationale to eat more. We say “I will start dieting tomorrow.” “It’s Friday or a day to celebrate.” “I had a bad day.” We tend to think of ways to make the day unique, so we can eat what and how much we want rather than how we really should be eating.
We also tend to eat more when the food is labeled “low-fat,” although the calorie amount may be similar to the regular version of the food. The people in the study estimated that a low-fat version of a snack had 40% less calories. Whereas, it actually only had 11% fewer calories and most of the people ate more of the snack. We tend to underestimate calories. Many people think that if the food is “organic,” it has to have fewer calories. He calls this the “halo” effect. If we think the food is good for us we will estimate the calories lower and eat more of it.
So what can help us? Mr. Wansink recommends using a small plate and bowl, smaller serving spoons, put the healthy food front and center where it is the first thing you see, and package food in small containers or individual servings, especially if you buy in bulk. For many people the 100 calorie packs help them with self-control. What tips do you have that help you avoid overeating?
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