Are you under the influence? I’m talking about the external cues that determine how much you eat, what you eat and whether you enjoy it. Research has shown that many things such as food packaging and names, food freshness, quantities of food, other people’s reactions and, yes, exercise can influence your appetite and food consumption.
Professor Brian Wansink of Cornell University and the former executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has made a career of exploring how these cues and influences make us overeat.
What he finds so interesting is that people typically can recall times when they have eaten to the point of regretting it; and yet, they have so many reasons for doing so, from being happy or sad to bored or hungry. They will overeat when the food was spectacular and even when it was bad!
Our society has progressively increased the size of portions and decreased the quality of many foods at the same time. We are often subjected to misleading advertising and erroneous claims. But surprisingly, Wansink finds that intelligent people and even regular exercisers can always find a rationale to eat more.
In his research, he studied how exercise can have an opposite effect on overeating than we would expect. In one study, participants were told that they were going to take a walk before dinner. One group went on an “exercise” walk where they discussed distance and heart rates. The other group went on a “scenic” walk, where they discussed scenery as they passed. The pace and the distance were the same for both groups.
When they got back for dinner, the exercise group ate more, especially dessert. They overestimated they had burned more calories, so they ended up eating more calories. They figured they deserved a reward!
There are many interesting things to be learned from Wansink’s research, too many to discuss here. However, one conclusion that has been drawn is that you cannot control mindless eating with the power of your mind! You have to change the environment. It’s easier to change your environment than it is to change your mind.
So as your members become a part of the club environment, they are learning to change the external cues that directly affect their health. They can also learn how to alter their cues at home. Here are some suggestions that can be posted on your nutrition bulletin board:
• Serve food in smaller plates and bowls. This is a proven strategy to reduce intake.
• Put salad and vegetables on the table and leave everything else on the counter or stove.
• Package things in smaller containers, especially when you buy sensibly in bulk.
• Display fruits in colorful bowls where they can be visible, rather than in the refrigerator bin.
Give your self-control a break today!
Judith Samuels, M.A. is a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and master personal trainer at Sport&Health Clubs in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. She can be reached via e-mail at judi@judisamuels.com.
