Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

As if bingeing wasn’t enough, there are so many other factors that can cause us to overeat. The size of the glass can cause us to drink more high-calorie drinks. The accessibilty of treats can cause unwanted snacking. Even buying food at bulk stores can cause us to eat more than we normally would. Professor Brian Wansink is a professor of Nutritional Science, of Marketing, of Advertising, and of Agricultural and Consumer Science. He has performed many studies on Food Psychology. Here are a sampling of them:

• Why We Unknowingly Overeat

These abstracts don’t read like weight-loss magazine articles, but if you are willing to wade through the formality of them, here are a couple of things that you’ll learn:

• Studies at “Weight-loss Camps” (and with veteran bartenders) show that visual illusions unknowingly cause people to pour 32-43% more in to short wide glasses than tall narrow ones.

• Subjects ate more popcorn when they were served more, even if the popcorn was stale and didn’t taste good.

• Unknown to the participants, they used self-refilling soup bowls to show that people keep eating regardless of what they intended to eat or how full they were.

• Hidden cameras at Italian restaurants show that people who put olive oil on a piece of bread will eat more fat and calories than if they instead used butter. The good news… they eat fewer pieces of bread.

Via: CalorieLab Calorie Counter News » Archives » The more we’re served, the more we eat