Many of us, if not most of us, frequently (or at least sometimes) fall prey to the potentially devastating act of stuffing our mouths, often with junk food, for way too long and too much. Alas, afterwards, we’re forced to suffer the consequences — via stomach aches, weight gain, that yucky morning-after malaise, and so on.
It’s called "mindless eating," and professor Brian Wansink, Ph.D., who holds a doctorate in marketing from Stanford University and directs the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, knows all about these unhealthy habits. As one of the , and he contends, as have other experts, that all kinds of influences are at work — marketing, social, cultural, etc.
In fact, Dr. Wansink — author of the just-published Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think — believes that we’re getting "trapped" by our surroundings and before we know it, we eat some 100 to 200 calories more than we need or want. (I’m not a scientist, but I daresay that many of us over-consume way more than 200 calories extra at a single sitting.)
But he brings hope by suggesting that many of us could slim down easily just by making some choice changes and even adjusting our enticing environment.
I was going to wait until his publisher sent me a copy of Mindless Eating before writing about this, but I need to write about it now, because it sounds just so darn fascinating.
So, for now, I’ll just encourage you to read two stories about Dr. Wansink’s work and his new book from two reporters, both of whose work I admire.
First, I suggest, you turn to Nanci Hellmich’s attention-getting story, "Just put your mind to it," in USA TODAY. I love her description of Hellmich’s eating behavior expert as "a man with a mission: to ferret out environmental factors that push Americans, sometimes unconsciously, to eat too much."
See also the compelling and helpful sidebar to Hellmich’s article, entitled "How to Avoid Those Calorie Traps."
Next, I invite you to check out the riveting article in the New York Times, "Seduced by Snacks? No, Not You," by the prolific Kim Severson.
This book clearly deserves considerable attention so I’ll write more when I finally get it from Bantam.
One thought on “Are You Mindlessly Stuffing Your Face?”
Dr. Wansink’s research will be immensely helpful to folks who understand the main reason most Americans overeat: we’re eating foods so nutrient-deficient (processed foods and animal products) that we keep consuming in the hopes of stumbling upon the renegade phytonutrient or gram of fiber.
On the other hand, if people assume the main culprit is the size of our bowls or spoons, and continue eating the standard American diet, their attempts at portion control will be unsustainable. Our bodies will not let us rest in our quest for nutrients until we are fulfilled, not just full.
That said, mindless eating deprives us of another life-sustaining nutrient: pleasure. Since our species (all species, actually) was initially guided to choose foods based on taste, we may be biologically programmed to continue eating until we satisfy our “pleasure quotient.”
Eating while driving, reading, or talking on the phone may provide physical nutriment, but cannot satisfy the deeper hunger for pleasure which is the primary motivator of all living behings.
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