None of us wants to overeat, get fat, or have chronic illness but in this day and age there are so many subtle ways our thoughts and eating patterns get manipulated. We think that what we eat is under our control but most of what we do is automatic and done without much thought.
In her new book, A Big Fat Crisis, Deborah Cohen talks about some of the cues that we miss, and the techniques the food industry uses to get us to buy more. Brian Wansink’s book Mindless Eating also addresses reasons why our best intentions get sabotaged on a daily basis. For instance:
- Time-sensitive sales at grocery stores make us feel we need to buy or we’ll lose out on an opportunity. When we buy more we often end up consuming more.
- People pay more attention to the food at the end of the aisles. Also to food at eye level.
- When we are busy, if our brain is overloaded, or if it’s late we pick foods based on appearance or convenience. Supermarkets take advantage of that decision fatigue by selling candy and sweets at the till / cash register.
- Self control is like a muscle and it gets fatigued.
- Being presented with more variety in a meal makes us eat more. Also just changing the name or flavour or shape of things makes people think they’re different. And that attracts us.
- Bigger servings when we eat out cause us to eat more. This has been proven in more than 72 studies.
- We’re bad at recalling how much we’ve recently eaten
- Restaurants promote combo meals to get people to eat more because they seem like better value.
- Companies use eye-tracking equipment to see how people scan a page so they know where on the menu a dish appears influences what people choose. For example the upper right hand corner is known as the Sweet Spot. Also people are more likely to choose things that are listed first or last in a section. And foods highlighted or put in a box get noticed and chosen more.
- Some studies show that the more people you dine with the more food you are likely to eat.
- Large refrigerators and pantries encourage bulk buying and large quantities.
- The bigger package you pour from the more you will eat.
- TV leads you to eat, you tend not to pay attention to how much you eat, and you eat for too long, continuing to snack.
- Food is now sold everywhere, 24/7. It’s also provided at hotel counters, in the boardroom, and samples given out at the grocery store to get you to buy more.
- Ads prime us with memories that influence our food purchases and dining choices later.
- We have built-in mechanisms to remind us to eat so that we survive, but when food is everywhere we no longer rely on those mechanisms.
Dr Wansink suggests that there are 5 types of eaters and when you know which one you are there is a method of attack so that you can eat more mindfully:
- The Meal Stuffer: eats primarily during mealtime, but then they eat to excess, cleaning everything on their plate. They often eat so quickly that they’re uncomfortably full after they finish.
- The Snack Grazer: reaches for whatever food is available, typically about three times a day. They seldom pass up a candy dish. Snacking can be a nervous habit. Done more out of habit than hunger
- The Party Binger: professionals who frequently wine and dine, enjoying buffets, receptions, and happy hours. Not keeping track of what they’ve eaten or drunk.
- The Restaurant Indulger: Eats dinner out at least three days a week. Often on an expense account or affluent gourmets.
- The Desktop Diner: speed eats while multi-tasking at their desk or in the car (often donuts or snacks from the vending machine).
Start with your danger zone which is your biggest problem and then implement three small changes for a month. For example, don't serve family style, avoid having too many foods on the table, use smaller plates, don't pre-buy snacks for future occasions, keep tempting foods out of sight, sit next to someone who is a slow eater, etc.
These really are two fascinating books on the subject and worth a read. Wishing you healthy dining!