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Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Using Small Plates To Lose Weight
As portion sizes have grown over the last 20 years so have our waistlines. We get used to a certain visual idea of what a plate of food should look like. When shown appropriate portion sizes, many people immediately think the smaller sizes won't fill them up. This just shows that we are no longer used to seeing reasonable portion sizes. They look too small to our conditioned eyes. We have become a country that is conditioned to eat the amount that we see as regular portions instead of paying attention to our actual fullness cues.
A 2003 study from the American Dietetic Association showed that the participants took 20% more cornflakes, 20% more milk, and 40% more orange juice at breakfast compared to the same study conducted in 1984. The lunch servings went up by 50%.
Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that participants ate 30% more food when presented with larger portions sizes. When they were presented with smaller plates of food they ate less and did not report feeling a difference in their fullness level. This just goes to show that we eat with our eyes and what feels like a normal amount of food.
One answer is to start to use smaller plates. Along with our portion sizes, our plate sizes have also increased over the last 20 years. A traditional plate size has grown from 10 inches to 12 inches which equates to 25% more food. These jumbo sized plates don't even fit in standard cupboards or dishwashers - this should really tell us something.
As a little experiment, try using the smaller size plates for 2 weeks and see if you notice a difference in the amount of food you eat, your fullness level, and your weight. If you don't own smaller plates use the next size down. This is even a better test! These plates are usually about 8 inches. This step alone can help you control your portion sizes in a way that makes sense to our visual perception.
Posted by HoodiaPharm HungerAway ::
6:54 AM ::
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