Why fast weight loss always seems to be so difficult...
Do you ever feel confused by all the conflicting messages about why fast weight
loss is so difficult?
First off, we're told that fat that makes us fat. Then we're told it's sugar
that prevents fast weight loss. There are even reports that there's some kind
of obesity "virus" on the loose.
Fast weight loss
However, experts from New York University have revealed that the real reason
for the lack of fast weight loss could be a lot simpler than most people think-it's
because portion sizes have increased.
Gathering data from a variety of sources, authors Lisa Young and Marion Nestle
report that portion sizes began to grow in the 1970's, and rose sharply in the
1980's. In fact, portion sizes have continued to grow in parallel with the rise
in obesity.
People often determine a "normal" portion
by comparing it with the size of the serving bowl or plate. In one recent experiment,
Brian Wansink, PhD, a professor in the applied economics and nutrition departments
at Cornell University, divided subjects into two groups and removed the visual
cue—the size of the bow—for one group.
By secretly refilling their bowls
slowly and persistently through tubes in the bottom, the researchers in effect
took away the size of the bowl as a way of helping the subject decide how
much to eat.
Participants who were unknowingly eating from self-refilling bowls ate more
soup [14.7 vs. 8.5 oz]
than those eating from normal soup bowls. However, despite consuming 73% more,
they did not believe they had consumed more, nor did they perceive themselves
as more sated than those eating from normal bowls.
In other words, the subjects could have consumed
half the amount they did and still have experienced the same satisfaction.
The Fulani of the Jos Plateau (a mountainous state in northern Nigeria) consume
a diet that would send most nutritionists into something of a panic. The diet
of the Fulani is roughly 48% fat, with much of this coming from saturated fat
such as palm oil and butter oil.
Yet, despite a diet that flies in the face of conventional wisdom, the Fulani
are extremely lean. Moreover, their cholesterol levels indicate they
also have a low risk of heart disease.
However, if you look at the total amount of calories the Fulani consume in
a day, it's roughly 13 calories per pound of body weight - which is very low
compared to the standard American diet.
Fat is nothing more than stored energy. It's like money in the bank. If, each
day, you withdraw a little more money than you put in, eventually, you'll end
up with no money, right? It's the same with body fat. Burn more energy than
you're eating, and fast weight loss becomes a lot easier to achieve.
The mistake most people make is thinking that because a food is low in fat,
they can eat more of it. Take pasta for example. Because of its low fat
content, a bowl full of pasta is considered a "healthy" meal. But
because the portion size is so large, it's easy to eat so much that you
simply replace all the calories you've burned off in the gym.
Here's a simple tip you can use right now to reduce portion sizes without
feeling like you're missing out. The next time you sit down for a meal, fill
half of your plate with vegetables.
Most vegetables are low in calories, but because of their "bulk"
they help to stop you feeling hungry. Because you won't have much room left
on your plate for other more "calorie-dense" foods, your portion sizes
will drop automatically.
Reference
Wansink, B., Painter, J.E., & North, J. (2005). Bottomless
bowls: why visual cues of portion size may influence intake. Obesity
Research, 13, 93-100
Young, L.R., & Nestle, M. (2002). The contribution of expanding
portion sizes to the US obesity epidemic. American
Journal of Public Health, 92, 246-249
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