Daydreaming About Eating Food May Help You Lose Weight

Dec 14, 2010 Karen Gaskell

Imagination May Help You Lose Weight - freedigitalphotos.net

Imagine this: Simply imagining that you are enjoying your favorite mouth-water foods, whether it is a juicy steak, chocolate ice cream or raspberry cheesecake, may actually cause you to eat less of it.

Those are the delicious results of five studies conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, conducted to determine what impact “repetitive imaging” has on intake. The flavorful findings may offer a new weight loss method for dieters to use when they are trying to resist food cravings. The findings of the research were published in December, 2010 in the journal Science.

In one study, participants imagined inserting 33 quarters into a coin-operated washer. Another group put 30 coins in a washing machine and ate three M&M candies. The final group visualized placing three quarters in the washer and then eating 30 M&Ms. All three groups were then offered M&Ms from a bowl. The group that had imagined eating 30 M and M’s ate far fewer candies from the bowl than the other two groups.

Another study found volunteers who merely thought about M&Ms ate more of them than those who imagined eating them. The studies imply that "if we actually imagine consuming a food, that seems to decrease our desire for it, but just thinking about a food increases our appetite for it," noted lead author Carey Morewedge, a psychologist and assistant professor of social and decision sciences.

Americans Want to Improve Their Eating Habits

A 2005 Parade magazine survey that tracks the food shopping, eating and diet habits of Americans found 84% said they try to eat a nutritionally-balanced diet. Some 77% of people of those surveyed said they are eating more chicken, vegetables and fruits. The questionnaire was filled out by more than 2,000 U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 65.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends eating whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meats, poultry , fish, beans and low-fat dairy items. It also suggests going light on sugar, salt and saturated fats.

Twenty-five percent of those surveyed in Parade said they don’t bother reading nutritional labels. Nearly 60% said while they are familiar with the USDA food pyramid guidelines, they don’t necessarily adhere to it. The survey also found that Americans continue to associate eating with pleasure and often see it as a reward. Nearly 90% said they eat dessert at least once a week.

Sources:

CBS News, “American Eating Habits” (Accessed December 14, 2010)

Medline Plus, “Nutrition” (Accessed December 14, 2010)

USA Today, “Imagining eating makes you eat less?” (Accessed December 14, 2010)

Copyright Karen Gaskell. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured site: So, Why is Wikileaks a Good Thing Again?.

View the original article here