Nix The Bag

Nix The Bag
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Lose the bag and breakout the teacups for a slimmer waistline

A study suggests that environmental cues such as packaging and container size are so powerful that we will still overeat even when the food is less than desirable.

A study suggests that environmental cues such as packaging and container size are so powerful that we will still overeat even when the food is less than desirable.

MabelAmber

In my world, there was nothing better than a warm honey bun and a big bucket of buttery popcorn while watching Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie marathons with the kids. We overindulged a lot back in those days, but it was a choice that I made right? The motivational speaker in me says, yes, and only I have the power to make better choices for myself, but unfortunately for us all the science says different.

A joint study conducted by some of the good doctors over at Cornel and Central Florida Universities sought to answer a simple question, do we only overeat foods that we like? Well the results seem to suggest that environmental cues such as packaging and container size are so powerful that we will still overeat even when the food is less than desirable.

In Philadelphia, the study conductors randomly gave 158 moviegoers either a medium or large container of free popcorn that was either fresh or stale. Now let’s take a moment to define stale shall we? Does 14 days old qualify as stale enough? Now honestly, I’ve spent time in the Philly airport and I’ve been there on weekends during football season. Philadelphians are a strong people, with even stronger constitutions, but get this…because packaging and container size influence is so powerful, that even when the “the chicken tastes like wood” (shout out to my Sugar Hill peeps) people still ate 34% more than they would have, just because it was served to them in a large container. Conclusion, don’t eat out of the bag. Here’s some ways that you can fight this food marketing programming.

1. Change what’s in the bag: A positive outcome from this study is that it seemed to work the same no matter what was in the bag. Overeating is not desired under any circumstance, but I would give you a pass if I saw you with a Costco sized bag of fruit and veggies.

2. Breakout the teacups: In my book I talk about my raucous affair with cheesy poofs. I knew it was futile to fight the urge, so I would put a serving in a coffee cup. When I was done, that was it. It actually taught me to slow down and enjoy my food.

3. Avoid buying food in bulk, which is usually packaged in large bags. Create a budget where you’re purchasing exactly what you need to fuel yourself until your next pay cycle…and oh by the way, pay with cash.

For more tips, or to continue the conversation join us at the 100 Small Steps Blog

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