Simple steps to stop overeating

Most of us think we overeat because we're hungry or the food tastes really good. But it's not that simple. Scientists says the two most important factors that influence how much we eat are visibility and convenience - which is why we can never pass up those biscuits when they're handed round. But a few simple tricks to stop overeating could help you lose 15-20lbs a year, effortlessly. Out of sight out of mind Experts at Cornell University in America found that if people had a bowl of sweets and chocolate within reach on their desk, they ate 125 calories more of the treats than when the same bowl was placed just six feet away. In short, if you put temptation right under your nose, you'll give in to it. But if you keep it beyond arm's reach, you'll tend to succumb less often. Stop overeating: - Keep treat foods like biscuits in non see-through containers, or put them in a cupboard or drawer that's not easy to access. - Avoid exposure to temptation. If you can avoid passing the vending machine, then do so. Divide and conquer Research shows that we'll always eat 20-40 per cent more if we serve ourselves from large food packs and it's the same story if food comes in large serving dishes. One study compared how many savoury snacks people nibbled from two large bowls or four half-size ones and found consumption was 56 per cent more from the bigger bowls. In another study, cinema-goers ate a third to a half more popcorn from a larger bucket, even though in both cases they had just eaten a meal and the popcorn was stale! Stop overeating: - Buy multi-packs, not family packs. Or create single-portion servings by subdividing the bargain-size bag. - Serve up meals in the kitchen, rather than putting the cooking pot on the table and digging in. - Avoid buffet-style restaurants. Eat messy "When people were eating chicken wings in a restaurant they consumed 14 per cent more chicken if the bones were cleared away as they ate, rather than left in front of them," says Professor Brian Wansink, author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. "Seeing the debris gave them an obvious clue to how much they were eating and acted as a brake on their food consumption." Stop overeating: - Leave tidying up until after - you've eaten - the sight of chocolate wrappers, meat bones and empty kebab skewers strewn about the place will stimulate you to eat less. Use smaller plates and glasses "People are consistently serving up 25-35 per cent extra home-cooked food on to big plates, which can add up to 150 calories more at your main meal," says Professor Wansink. "Over a year, if you consume 150 calories more than you need every day, that's 15lb you'll put on in that time." Using large glasses, ice cream scoops and bowls also leads to over consumption of alcohol and fattening desserts. Stop overeating: - Use dinner plates that are no more than 10 inches across and serve desserts in bowls that hold no more than 500ml. - Use tall, skinny glasses for consuming booze and sugary drinks - even experienced bartenders pour more into squat glasses, as it's how high the drink comes up the sides of the glass that determines how we perceive our drink size. Ditch distracted eating Research published in the American Economic Review found that on days when people ate too much (defined as more than 2,600 calories), proportionally more of those calories came from foods that were consumed when subjects were doing other things. Several studies have also shown that the distraction of television can increase the amount of food that people consume in a meal, which further fuels obesity. Stop overeating: - Try to make eating an activity in its own right, not something you do at the same time as something else like watching TV. - If you do eat while watching TV, serve into individual portions first. Quality counts Some diet regimes will curb calories without leaving you hungry. A recent study found people whose eating patterns changed over four years to include more fruit, veg, nuts, whole grains and yoghurts, lost weight. Those who ate more potatoes, processed meats, refined grains and fruit juices gained weight. Stop overeating: - Swap white bread, pasta and rice for brown. - Snack on nuts instead of crisps. - Stick to one glass of fruit juice -a day.