Medically reviewed in October 2021
When it comes to losing weight, it's not just about what you eat. It's also about where you eat.
And nutrition experts think that if you chow down in the dining room, it just might help you keep the pounds off.
Mindful Eating
The kitchen will work, too. Why? Because experts believe that eating in the kitchen or dining room, rather than the living room in front of the TV or the office in front of the computer, will help you focus on your food -- not what's on the screen. And that's important, say a growing band of researchers. They suspect the real culprit in the growing obesity epidemic may be a bevy of bad behaviors that fall under the category of "mindless eating." It's a distracted kind of eating, where people focus on something other than their plates and, as a result, don't notice when their bellies are getting full. (Do you know when to stop eating?)
A Pair of Portion-Control Pointers
Yep, just like in real estate, the mantra for healthy, mindful eating can be summed up in three all-important words: location, location, location. If you still need help being a conscious, aware eater once you move your mouth into the kitchen, try these two tips to keep mealtimes lighter:
- Use the skinny glass. Experts say you'll drink a third more of something if it's served in a short, fat glass rather than in a tall, skinny one.
- Go for 9 inches. To avoid overeating, don't serve food on plates bigger than 9 inches. Over and over, research has shown that the bigger the bowl or plate, the more people will eat. For instance, in a recent study researchers found that kids will eat twice as much cereal when using a 16-ounce bowl versus when they use an 8-ounce one. (Watch this video to see how to eat less and find out how easy portion control can be.)
