8 major factors in overeating
According to the World Health Organization, every third inhabitant of the Earth is overweight, and every tenth is obese. The reason, according to experts, is rooted in one uncomfortable fact: many people consume much more calories than necessary. How is it that we overeat? Why is it so difficult to give up an extra portion of delicious food or additives? Let's try to find out what factors interfere with eating with reasonable moderation.
Watching TV while you eat
Do you have a habit of having dinner after a hard day, comfortably sitting in front of the TV? Checking the newspaper or e-mail messages during breakfast? The risk of losing your slimness is very high for you. It has been established that a person, combining food intake with any activity related to obtaining information, eats much more than he needs (and even more than he originally intended).
Interestingly, the degree of overeating directly depends on the content of works of art, viewing (or reading) which a person is busy with while eating. Comedy lovers still have a chance to stay within reasonable limits, but adherents of melodramas run the risk of getting extra calories: the more "sensitive" the plot of the film, the more food is absorbed when watching it.
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Food availability
This is not about the cost of the products, but about too easy access when they have already been bought and brought into the house. The easier it is to get to food, the more often we eat.
Of course, no one suggests hiding food. However, to some extent, this factor can be influenced by creating small obstacles that prevent too easy access to food:
- do not buy fast food. In those families where food is prepared by themselves, overeat less;
- store products in packages (containers, closed bags, cling film);
- do not keep sweets, cookies and other "snacks" in open vases on the table;
- try to stay away from the refrigerator when eating;
- to buy nuts and seeds unpeeled, to purchase other products, if possible, in small packaging.
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Large portions
Many people have a habit, rooted in childhood, of eating everything on their plate. It is difficult to deal with this, and it is not necessary. But you can easily reduce the portions using small dishes. It also makes sense to replace deep bowls and bowls with special soup bowls to better control the amount of food you eat.
According to statistics, in countries where it is customary to eat with chopsticks (for example, in Japan or China), there are not so many fat men as in Europe or America. This can be explained very simply: it is more difficult to take food with chopsticks than with a spoon or fork. By replacing traditional cutlery with chopsticks, you reduce the chances of overeating.
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Hurried meal
When the stomach is full, the feeling of fullness does not occur immediately. This means that a person who tries to spend less time on a meal can easily eat too much. Therefore, it is very harmful to have a snack on the go and eat daily at fast food outlets. An extensive and leisurely meal will not only guarantee moderation, but also a more thorough assessment of the quality of the food.
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Choice
Sometimes overeating is related to what kind of food is in the house. Scientists have found that a person absorbs 25% more food if he can choose from several options. That is, if, for example, there are two or three varieties of sausages in the refrigerator, they will be eaten much faster than in the case when the owners limited themselves to buying one type of sausage.
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Insufficient illumination
It has been proven that the better lit a food area is, the less you need to eat to feel full. Therefore, it is important to install bright lights in the kitchen and dining room. And when visiting a catering establishment, it makes sense to take a table located by the window.
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Emotional discomfort
Many tend to "seize" a bad mood. This is due to the fact that delicious food from infancy is associated with a sense of security. Physical activity will help to cope with this habit: playing sports activates the production of "hormones of joy", which neutralize the effects of stress.
In case you still want to have a snack at a difficult moment, you should keep fresh fruits, berries or vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes) in the refrigerator. Their use will not overload the body with calories, but it will provide the vitamins it desperately needs.
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Collective meal
Eating in the company, many overeat. This is due to two circumstances. First, the person participating in the conversation feels satiated later, and he manages to eat more. Secondly, coming together to a cafe or restaurant, people usually order the same dishes (which is a proven fact). This means that a woman who visits such a place with friends is more likely to eat a piece of greasy cake than a vegetable salad with chicken breast, which she would order while eating alone.
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The problem of overeating can be solved only in one way: carefully control the volume and composition of the products included in the meal. It's not as difficult as it sounds. It is enough to take care of yourself for several weeks - then a habit is formed that will help to eat exactly as much as your body needs.
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Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author
Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".
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