Diet by design

Research shows that, on average, dieters give up on their healthy eating regimes after five weeks, two days and 43 minutes of restrictive eating. In a story as old as camel milk and dates, the lure of French fries and pizza is simply too great for humans to resist. Willpower alone is just not enough and so for decades pharmaceutical companies have invested billions researching a quick fix for the world’s obesity problem, which threatens to create an international health crisis in coming decades.

In the UAE, the problem is acute. The obesity rate here is double the world average. Figures released last year showed that there were 803,900 diabetics in the UAE, about 19 per cent of the population.

Dr Mohammad Farghaly, head of insurance medical regulation at the Dubai Health Authority, estimates that figure could rise to 1.8 million within a few years.

The search for solutions is vital. Officials are considering a range of options including clearer food labelling, a ban on junk-food advertising, parental-education schemes, portion control and exercise-friendly town planning. It may be, however, that the answer is much simpler than first thought and that the key to effortless weight loss lies in psychology, rather than medicine and public-health campaigns.

Research shows that small changes in our eating habits and design tweaks in the environments in which we eat can have a huge effect on the amount of calories we consume. Environmental changes can even change the way we perceive that food tastes.

Friday investigated and we’ve come up with these simple steps for slimming down...

Large plates encourage us to eat more, research has shown. In fact diners will eat on average 22 per cent more from a 30cm-diameter plate than they will from a 25cm-diameter plate. In the two decades between 1980 and 2000 the average plate size in the US increased from 25cm to 30cm. This increase corresponded to a rise in obesity levels across the nation.

A 5cm reduction in plate size would lead to a weight loss of around 8kg per year for the average adult. The issue of large plate sizes is treated so seriously in the US that government and academics created the Small Plate Movement in 2008 to educate families and help them lose weight by simply reducing the size of their dinnerware. If tempted by the famous buffets in one of Dubai’s luxury hotels, the best advice would be to use a side plate.

The size and weight of the cutlery used also has an effect on how much is eaten. In one experiment party guests were given either a 60g or 85g spoon and allowed to help themselves to ice cream. The guests given the large spoons ate 14 per cent more than those with the smaller spoons.

Another study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania used a bowl of M&Ms that were left in the hallway of an apartment building. A sign next to the bowl told people to help themselves. On different days they were provided with either a tablespoon-sized scoop to dish the sweets out, or a larger scoop. Guess what? The larger scoop caused people to take twice the amount of sweets on average, researchers found.

The weight of cutlery also comes into play. In an experiment in Scotland, 50 people were given canteen-style cutlery to eat a salmon dish, while another 50 were given heavier, fine dining-style cutlery. After the meal diners were asked how much they believed they would have to pay for the meal. Those using the heavier cutlery were happy to pay considerably more. This, it is believed, is because the brain associates weight with value.

Subtle changes in the surroundings where food is served and prepared can also boost weight loss. A study found women who keep packets of crisps visible on kitchen surfaces are an average of 3.6kg heavier than those who do not. To cut down on snacking, treats are best offered in opaque containers as another study discovered that workers in an office ate nearly a quarter more sweets from transparent dishes.

Another psychologist, Brad Bushman, found that people made better food choices when a mirror was placed on a table in front of unhealthy and healthy food. It is believed the mirror made people more self-aware, so mirrors on fridges and around the kitchen can help encourage healthier eating.

Serving methods and table habits affect intake dramatically. In one study volunteers ate a third more when leftovers such as bones and cake cases were removed from the table during a meal. Leaving the evidence in view made them more aware of what they had eaten. And families where mothers dished up at the counter and transferred plates to the table ate 19 per cent less than families who helped themselves from serving dishes on the table. A reduction in the overall variety of food on offer has also been shown to reduce consumption.

Supermarket designers have long realised that many in-store purchases are made impulsively. British behaviour expert Stephanie Davies elaborates: ‘Food choices are often based on emotions. If we shop when we are sad we tend to buy more unhealthy products. Likewise, if we prepare food when we are unhappy or stressed we are more likely to cook comforting, calorific food.’

A simple way to buy healthier food is to shop when you are in a good mood and also after you have eaten, as shopping on an empty stomach also encourages overbuying and the purchase of unhealthier food.

Try turning the TV off – people eat up to 50 per cent less if there are no distractions. Television has the effect of diverting attention away from what is being eaten. Diners are less aware of the amount they are consuming and as it takes around 20 minutes for a full stomach to signal to the brain that it is full, distracted diners will continue to graze mindlessly after they have eaten as much as they need.

Music can also affect the dining experience and encourage people to eat more. Generally, food tastes better if it is thought to be expensive and classical music is associated with class, quality and high-mindedness. Studies have shown that when classical music is played in the background of a restaurant, diners believe the food being served is of higher quality.

Psychology can also help people to make healthier choices when eating out. Where you chose to sit in a restaurant will have an impact on what you order. Studies have shown diners who sit by the window and in well-lit areas are more likely to order salad. Those in dark booths at the back of establishments were 73 per cent more likely to order dessert.

Scientists have found that people who are dieting eat more food when encouraged to do so by an obese waitress. The opposite effect was seen for those who were not dieting. They ate more when the waitress was thin. Surprisingly obese people do not act as deterrents. Research has discovered that people with obese friends are 57 per cent more likely to obese be themselves.

Eating alone is no bad thing if you are on a diet. We consume about 35 per cent more food when eating with one other person, rising to 75 per cent when eating with three others.

Studies have also shown that people mirror the eating habits of their co-diners. They tend to copy the order, serving size, and eating pace of their dining companion, which is bad news if you dine with an overeater. Women are more likely to match the eating and drinking pace of same-sex dinner companions according to Dutch researchers.

Cooking meals for families also presents traps. Mothers who prepare meals for their children will often base food choices on the preferences of their children and overlook healthy considerations for themselves.

Dr Charles Spence, an Oxford University professor and food psychology author, explains: ‘Red is a primitive danger signal, but it also gives the food less contrast which makes is less desirable, so you will eat less of it.’

Colour contrast is a factor too: in an experiment at Cornell University in New York, subjects were invited to serve themselves pasta with either white or red sauce and to dish it up on either white or red plates. Those who plated their choice on the corresponding coloured plate were discovered to have eaten 18 per cent more than those who used a contrasting coloured plate.

A single can will add around 150 calories to your evening meal. Calories contained in drinks that accompany meals often go unchecked. Psychological studies have shown that consumption can simply be cut by changing the glasses you use and the position you adopt when pouring.

People pouring a drink focus on the height of a glass rather than the width. Tall thin glasses encourage less consumption. In one experiment subjects poured 12 per cent less into taller, thinner glasses than they did into shorter wider ones, which give the illusion that they contain less liquid. Psychologists also advise standing over a glass when pouring.

Psychologist Wansink explains, ‘Looking down at a glass makes it appear more full than looking at it from roughly the same level as the liquid.’ Using your non-dominant hand to pour and to eat can also reduce consumption.

The conclusion appears to be clear. Next time you vow to start another hopeless diet, think smart and use some science. Buy new tableware, rearrange your kitchen, change your habits and ditch the TV. You’ll be surprised how many kilos you’ll shed.