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Learn
when it's time to put your fork down
June 12, 2008
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
How
do you know when it’s time to stop eating?
Your answer may have something to do with how well you manage
your weight.
The key may be whether you use internal or external cues to
signal it’s time to put down your fork.
Researchers at Cornell University studied individuals in the
U.S. and France to better understand how they decided they’ve
had enough to eat. People who used internal cues – feeling
full, for instance – were more likely to be of normal
weight.
People who relied on external cues – such as an empty
plate, the end of a TV show or an empty drink cup –
were more likely to be overweight.
The findings may provide insight into the “French paradox”
– the idea that some people in France enjoy weights
closer to ideal while still eating high-fat foods such as
cheese and pastries. French study participants were influenced
by internal cues to stop eating, while Americans were more
influenced by external cues.
The study lends support to ideas in popular diet books. In
French Women Don’t Get Fat, for example, author Mireille
Guiliano said about French women, “They eat with their
heads, and they do not leave the table feeling stuffed or
guilty.”
The book describes a French attitude toward food that emphasizes
internal cues related to the pleasure of eating and minimizes
opportunities for influence from external cues.
Similar attitudes are found in Japan.
In the book Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat, authors
Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle explain that, in Japan, meals
are eaten slowly and enjoyed for their flavor and beauty.
Portions are small – one third to half of what Americans
put on their plates.
“And while Americans often eat until they feel completely
satiated (or beyond), there is a Japanese mother’s saying
that recommends “Hara hachi bunme” – “Eat
until you are 80 percent full,” said the authors.
What can you and I do to help train ourselves to pay attention
to internal cues and diminish the influence of external cues?
One way is to focus your attention on aspects of food that
give you pleasure without calories. For example:
* Appreciate the presentation. Arrange food on plates so that
it leaves space and doesn’t cover the entire plate.
Serve small portions on small, decorative plates.
* Take your time. Eat slowly, sitting down at a table for
a leisurely meal socializing with family or friends. Avoid
eating at your desk, standing up at the kitchen counter, and
eating in the car or while you’re watching TV.
* Think about how you feel. If you no longer feel hungry,
stop eating. Worried about being hungry later? You can always
eat leftovers or have a snack.
Fast food advertising and large portions served at restaurants
are examples of external cues that prompt overeating. You
can dilute their influence if you:
* Cook your own food. Put on some soft music and enjoy the
ritual of preparing meals from scratch. Take leftovers to
the office or school the next day.
* Don’t go hungry. Keep an apple or small bag of mixed
nuts in your purse or briefcase. Have a light meal or snack
every few hours to stave off extreme hunger that can make
you more vulnerable to food ads when you’re away from
home.
* Turn off the TV set. Reduce your exposure to ads that stoke
your appetite for junky foods.
Food is one of our great pleasures in life. Learn to enjoy
it more thoroughly in your mind and you may find you don’t
need to put as much in your mouth.
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