Hello, I am Elle and I am an overeater. 
I will find any excuse to indulge in a multitude of meals a day, whether out of boredom or procrastination. Inevitably, this results in the post-meal nap (traditionally known as the Christmas-snooze) where I am so full I can barely move. This was considered to be a pretty cute quirk as a 5-year old but is apparently a "problem" as an adult? How can I break the habit of a lifetime?

 There was an article posted in the Washington Post which argues that despite the traditional belief that our bodies will let us know when we are hungry (or indeed, full), this may not be a case. According to the article, there are many psychological factors which can affect how much we want to eat, and how full we feel after eating.

Eating at home:

It is now relatively well known that the size of our plates affects how full you feel after a meal. The smaller the plate, the less food you’ll need to consume before you feel full. When you see a plate seemingly overflowing with food, that visual information tricks our brain and in turn, you believe you have eaten more (when in fact you have eaten a significantly smaller amount). 

Similar effects have been seen with people who eat whilst watching television, vs those who focus on their food. When you eat while simultaneously watching television, you end up ‘mindlessly eating', which typically results in you not being able to recall any details about what your meal. The article argues that memory is actually highly important in determining when you is full! If you are unable to remember how much food you have eaten, you will end up eating more. 

 Mindful eating, which is eating without distraction, is thought to be a way to combat overeating. By focusing on every bite, you will remember the process of eating as well as how much food you consumed. As a result, you end up eating less without restricting yourself in any way!

Dining out:


When dining with others there can be other more subtle factors which can influence the amount of food you eat: the weight of your waiter, the size of your table, and even the weight of your dining guests can all affect how much food you will have to eat before you’re full. We all desire to fit in, and when others eat higher volumes of food, you typically adjust to fit in with them.

Unfortunately there is no easy hints or tips around this one. Just try and stay aware of these elements, drink as much free tap water as possible, and try to be the first one to order so you are less influenced when hiring everyone else's order.

Take out / Snacks:


When food is convenient, it can be very difficult resist (hence the success of McDonald's). The author of “Secrets of the Eating Lab” Tracy Mann argues that“[T]he easier it is to eat, the more you’re going to eat — it’s that simple”. This principle can be applied to buffet carts, drive thru’s, and perhaps the most importantly — grocery shopping. This is why you should not go shopping when you are hungry because your brain is perceiving all the available food and connects it as the solution to the smallest dip in energy it is currently experiencing. 



Evolutionary speaking, we are constantly on the hunt for food in case it suddenly falls in short supply (as was typical for our ancestors). In short, we eat whenever the opportunity arrives and as such making it more difficult to obtain food regularly can prevent overeating. This idea was concisely highlighted by David Just, a professor of behavioural economics at Cornell — “We are no different from dogs”.


What Can We Do?


 One way to deal with overeating is to discover healthy foods that you love to eat. When you find something delicious it takes a far smaller amount to feel full, probably because you are being more mindful about what your food. I have definitely had experience of this by discovering hummus (especially with chilli and paprika), herbs and avocados. 

By discovering my love of hummus, I find that I am reaching for that with slices of cucumber instead of cookies. In addition, because these foods have a lower calorie content — compared to cookies anyway — you are able to eat much more of these healthier alternatives without the guilt whilst maintaining the feeling of being full. 

If you would like to know more about the psychological principles behind dieting, my friend Lucy has written a two part blog post about why dieting as we know it simply doesn’t work.

What do you think about why we overeat? Are there are any other factors we should consider?