There are many fat loss studies that try to find the best ways to burn those unwanted calories but despite the efforts, statistics show that each year, the obesity problem is only getting worse. Here are five fat loss studies that try to give some useful insights into the ways of combating the problem.
1. We use the volume of what we eat to determine how full we feel.
In a study, two groups of college students were given a smoothie before lunch.
- The first group got a glass of smoothie that was half full.
- For the second group, the same amount of smoothie was blended for a longer period of time, so it would take up the entire glass (due to air that got into the smoothie during the blending process).
It was noticed that students that received a full glass, ate about 12 percent fewer calories during lunch. So if you want to eat fewer calories but still want to feel full, try to replace ingredients like cheese with something less caloric (like salads). It just has to take up the same amount of volume.
2. If getting food requires effort, we eat less.
There are various studies that explore this phenomenon. In one of them, chocolate candies were placed in 3 different office locations: on the secretary's desk, in a drawer, at the other side of the room.
The results showed that during the day, the location of candies drastically changed the eating habits of secretaries. 8 candies were eaten on average when the candies were on the table, 6 when they were in the drawer, and 4 when they were at the other side of the room. This shows that if you make food harder to get, it might decrease your eating.
Experiment!
Before we go into the third study, let's do a little experiment. You will see 2 lines. Try to guess which one is longer.
Reveal the correct answer!
The lines are of equal length
3. Our brains are programmed to fail to recognise which kind of glass has more liquid.
Studies show that when people are given differently shaped glasses to drink from, their drinking amounts change quite a lot. The wider shape of the glass makes people drink about 25-30 percent more liquids compared to taller, slimmer glass.
In one experiment 45 experienced bartenders were asked to pour 1.5 ounces (44 ml) of alcohol into wide and tall glasses. Surely bartenders would know how to pour the right amount?
The answer is quite surprising. When filling taller glasses, bartenders were almost correct. They filled 1.6 ounces (47 ml). Tiny amount more than they had to. But when bartenders were asked to fill wide glasses, they poured 2.1 ounces (62 ml), which is way over the target.
This means that we are naturally wired to look at taller, slimmer glasses as having more volume when they actually have. Picking slimmer glasses or cups for yourself could reduce your caloric liquid consumption.
These studies are from the book - Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink (PhD).
