One of the causes of overweight lies in the difficulty of evaluating the quantities we eat or have eaten during the day. In general, we unconsciously underestimate by 15 to 25% the quantities ingested, hence the interest in noting and weighing everything we eat as part of a nutritional balance approach, in order to become aware of it and then consume adequate quantities. Indeed, without benchmarks to evaluate the size of a food portion, we tend to eat everything on a plate without really questioning satiety. One trick to eat less without difficulty is to use smaller serving dishes and plates than the large plates that have become the norm in home or outdoor dining. Many examples are given by food psychologist Brian Wansink in his very informative book Mindless Eating (2,3,4,5).
The trap of lightened foods They occupy an increasingly important part in supermarket shelves and even if their existence may seem commendable, their consumption does not always have the expected effect. Many studies, always conducted by teams collaborating with food psychologist Brian Wansink, show that consuming a lightened product (in sugars or fats) automatically induces a reward or compensation phenomenon (2,3,4,5). For example, eating a lightened fat dish leads us to take a double portion of cheese. Similarly, a 0% fat yogurt will be more generously sprinkled with sugar, or finally the choice of a large salad of raw vegetables for lunch is often (re)compensated by a generous dessert. This compensation game is not necessarily winning for a balanced diet because it often brings more bad fats and more sugars.
Nutrition: some paths to explore The Mediterranean diet or Cretan diet remains a classic that is fairly easy to adopt, to accompany with reasonable and inexpensive physical activity like walking. For the more experienced, the Okinawa diet is considered today as one of the best for long-term health. It is a way of life and diet that naturally allows for a balanced weight, great physical and intellectual vitality. More than a diet, it is a life philosophy based on pleasure and moderation, whose principles are applied daily by the centenarian inhabitants of the city of Okinawa in Japan.
In another register, the GI diet, which favors foods with a low glycemic index, is also not a restrictive diet. This proven model can serve as a basis for rethinking and restructuring your diet in the long term. It helps minimize certain risk factors for type 2 diabetes, which is constantly increasing in Western countries. Finally, far from being impossible, choosing a vegetarian diet is an interesting alternative for overall health and better weight balance.
These examples are not diets in the weight loss sense of the term but rather dietary habits, that is to say a way of life linked to the choice of the nature, quality, and quantity of the foods constituting the diet. They are long-term and, as such, they influence our health. They are passed on to our children and influence their build and health.
References: (1) Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Rimm E, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Hennekens CH, Willett WC. Dietary fat intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med. 1997 Nov 20;337(21):1491-9. (2) French translation "Mindless Eating" Thierry Souccar Editions, 2009. (3) Ice cream illusions bowls, spoons, and self-served portion sizes.Wansink B, van Ittersum K, Painter JE. Am J Prev Med. 2006 Sep;31(3):240-3. (4) Bottoms Up: The Influence of Elongation and Pouring on Consumption Volume, by Brian Wansink and Koert van Ittersum, Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 30, no. 3, December 2003, pp. 455-63. (5) Bottomless bowls: why visual cues of portion size may influence intake. Wansink B, Painter JE, North J.Obes Res. 2005 Jan;13(1):93-100.