4.18

4

Sep 16, 2010

I fear of dying from hunger. It’s a very unreasonable fear because what are my chances of dying from hunger? Yet, this is what I must fear because each time my dinner arrives I eyeball it cautiously wondering whether it is enough. All sorts of food sharing events are a particular torture because I'm a slow eater, so the food is usually gone when I'm barely starting to eat. So I stuff my face, I barely chew; because I worry that everybody will walk away full and satisfied and I will be left I fear of dying from hunger. It’s a very unreasonable fear because what are my chances of dying from hunger? Yet, this is what I must fear because each time my dinner arrives I eyeball it cautiously wondering whether it is enough. All sorts of food sharing events are a particular torture because I'm a slow eater, so the food is usually gone when I'm barely starting to eat. So I stuff my face, I barely chew; because I worry that everybody will walk away full and satisfied and I will be left hungry.

There is no plausible explanation for this. Yes, I did grow up in communism, but it was Poland, not North Korea, I never had to go to bed without dinner. I didn't have to fight a litter of brothers and sisters at the table; in fact, I only have a younger sister whose favourite food was cauliflower.

Oh, I do truly live in the here and now. I think every meal I eat is at the same time my first and my last one. I pay for it with those extra pounds I so desperately try to run off, jogging at 6am by the canals. I don't turn heads quite the way I used and it saddens me. But it doesn't sadden me anywhere near as much as the thought that I have to eat everything today because there will be no food tomorrow.

Brian Wansink in ‘Mindless Eating’ talks about people like me but also people like you, the normal kind. The kind who thinks they are in control of what and how much they eat it. But you lot, you’re no better than me. If someone gives you free five day old stale popcorn with a movie ticket you will eat that. You will eat that and the box size will be the only criteria of how much food you need. Give you a small plate – that’s your portion. Give you a bigger one – that’s your portion too. Give you your food in a bucket, well, that’s how much you’ll eat. We need to clean our plate. Let's not throw away food! It's a sin. And what about those starving children in Africa? Let's eat more because they can't.

Wansink maintains we make about 200 food-related decisions a day. He is a scientist with good methodology, so let’s believe him. This is a lot of decisions. Who has the time to make 200 right decisions a day? And he proves beyond doubt that even the people who think they know, or even know they know, still don’t know or fully control how much they eat. You think you’re so smart, but some Sade from the speakers in a restaurant will make you order a dessert.

Gosh, are you hungry? You weren't even hungry before but I started talking about food and now you want to eat. You want a brownie and spaghetti, and sushi, pumpkin soup and a burger. I will show you my food and then I will close the door and let the thought of that food slowly burn in your brain. When you finally break and come begging me for that food you will eat almost twice as much as you would have if I weren't such a tease and just gave it to when I first showed you.

If it says low fat it means you can eat all you want. If it says something vaguely healthy on the packaging, again you can eat as much as you want of it and also believe it will cure cancer. That’s your brain on food.

There are so many fantastic facts and experiments in this book, some you can even try at home. Read it so you can learn what a fool you are. Me, I'm fine. As long as I can somehow convince myself there will still be food tomorrow. ...more

5

Jul 06, 2008

Mindless Eating

By Brian Wansink, Ph.D.

The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on.

A. Introduction

B. Mindless Margin

a. cut out 200 cal per day

b. serve 20% less on your plate at a meal

c. for fruits and veg. Think 20% more.

C. See All you eat

a. put everything you want to eat on a plate before you start eating.

b. Put snack in a bowl and leave box or bag in kitchen.

c. You’ll eat less if you see what you’ve already eaten. If you leave all the plates on your table at the chuckwagon……….leave Mindless Eating

By Brian Wansink, Ph.D.

The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on.

A. Introduction

B. Mindless Margin

a. cut out 200 cal per day

b. serve 20% less on your plate at a meal

c. for fruits and veg. Think 20% more.

C. See All you eat

a. put everything you want to eat on a plate before you start eating.

b. Put snack in a bowl and leave box or bag in kitchen.

c. You’ll eat less if you see what you’ve already eaten. If you leave all the plates on your table at the chuckwagon……….leave all the soda glasses on the table.

D. King size packages and tableware

a. Mini-size your bulk sized boxes and bags

b. Use smaller plates and glasses.

c. We eat more when there is a variety. Buffet, pot luck, reception. At these events never have more than 2 items on your plate at a time. You’ll refill your plate less often.

E. Make overeating a hassle, not a habit

a. Leave serving dishes in the kitchen or on a sideboard. Are we hungry still and enough to get up and go back in the kitchen for seconds?

b. “De-convenience” tempting foods. Take extras to basement or store in back of fridge.

c. Snack only at table and on plate. This makes it less convenient to serve, eat, and clean up after a snack. Do I really want this mess?

d. Make salad, fruits and veggies convenient. Cut up etc.

F. Create Distraction-Free Eating Scripts

a. Try to be last person to start eating when in a group

b. Pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table

c. Avoid another helping by always leaving food on plate. You must not be finished…….so you can’t get more yet.

d. Eat alone=eating less

e. No meal multi tasking.

f. Snack only in one place in your house. A place without distractions (comp, tv etc.) It makes it less alluring.

g. If you HAVE to snack, dish yourself out a ration. Don’t eat straight out of bag or box or huge serving bowl.

G. Comfort foods

a. Don’t deprive yourself. Eat smaller amounts

b. Rewire your comfort foods by substituting a less calorie item.

H. Nutritional Gatekeeper

a. Offer variety. New recipes, ethnic foods. Healthy foods can be more easily substituted for less-healthy foods.

b. Be a good marketer. Make the food look good. Give food inviting names and adjectives.

c. Half plate rule. ½ plate of veg and fruit and salad. ½ meat and starches

d. Make serving size official. Put into baggies. Clear counter of extra in box. Use Ice cream bars instead of bowls of icecream. ...more

4

Apr 26, 2018

This author is familiar to me through being quoted in other food-eating books I've read, including the stale popcorn study, and the plate size study, at least.

This book is about raising awareness of how much, what, and why we're eating certain ways (there's both healthy and harmful types - and we can never completely get rid of the mindlessness), sometimes without realising it, or being able to admit it (to say: "I wasn't influenced - others might've"). This book is meant to help us make better This author is familiar to me through being quoted in other food-eating books I've read, including the stale popcorn study, and the plate size study, at least.

This book is about raising awareness of how much, what, and why we're eating certain ways (there's both healthy and harmful types - and we can never completely get rid of the mindlessness), sometimes without realising it, or being able to admit it (to say: "I wasn't influenced - others might've"). This book is meant to help us make better food choices when buying and eating, and buying and making for others, plus the outside eating (work-related and the eating out).

There's plenty of illustrations, and at the end some popular diets studied, on eliminating diet danger zones and some frequently asked questions answered (that came up after a couple of first printings of this book). The studies are listed (and author creates and uses his own). Each chapter of the main part ends with 1-3 reengineering strategies that may help us eat better.

Stuff that comes up: the mindless margin (eating 100 more or less calories than needed can change one's weight over time); the oftentimes lack of awareness of amount eaten; tablescape - the equipment and the food (sizes and amounts matter); big packages - bigger eats; where the food is placed matters - the distance to it, the visibility, etc.; how to handle wholesale food buying; our eating scripts ("when it's time for tv, I grab this snack"); influence of friends, family, and the one who controls food at home through making and buying; the "manly man" overeating; restaurant look-strategies; the influence of what the food's title is; comfort foods (where gender preferences show, plus reasons why-this-food); saving the best for first or last?; the trap within 'low-fat' etc.-titled light foods.

I learned a lot, and did mark up some eating strategies for later use. This is a easily flowing book with a great message while it entertains. It makes you ponder deeply on food, while giving you more motivation to eat better, and make helpful strategies for making others' eating experience better, healthier. Very interesting a read. ...more

5

Feb 13, 2009

My friend Richard recommended this to me with this review.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

It seems there are an endless supply of books coming out at the moment about how our judgement can be lead astray and what we can do about it. This one is particularly good. Simple advice on how to lose weight by explaining why we might put it on in the first place.

When I was a child my mother told me not to cheat at patience (Solitaire) because you are only cheating yourself. I had always thought My friend Richard recommended this to me with this review.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

It seems there are an endless supply of books coming out at the moment about how our judgement can be lead astray and what we can do about it. This one is particularly good. Simple advice on how to lose weight by explaining why we might put it on in the first place.

When I was a child my mother told me not to cheat at patience (Solitaire) because you are only cheating yourself. I had always thought this a good maxim. Now I think that the only person you should cheat is yourself. If you want to learn how to cheat yourself out of being basketball shaped - this book is for you.

The thing I liked most about this book was the amount of time he spent convincing the reader that the reader was not quite as logical as the reader might just imagine. We are all too ready to believe that everyone else is stupid and we have somehow avoided the common affliction. This book should do much to dispell this dangerous assumption.

I'm going to try to put some of the advice in this book into practice. But before I do, I really will need to find out more about the caloric content of foods. Throughout this bookhe asked people to guess how many calories certain foods contained and, honestly, I would be guessing wildly. The advice, though, that we don't eat calories, but volume is very interesting. ...more

4

Oct 27, 2008

See an important related article in the New York Times: "In Obesity Epidemic, What’s One Cookie?" (10 March 2010) by Tara Parker-Pope.

Wansink's book combines diet instructions with lessons on the cognitive flaws in the human psyche that make dieting necessary for so many of us.

He runs a "food psychology lab" at Cornell University, where he and his colleagues study how we make out eating decisions and how they can be manipulated. That gives this book a twist, since it is as much a book on human See an important related article in the New York Times: "In Obesity Epidemic, What’s One Cookie?" (10 March 2010) by Tara Parker-Pope.

Wansink's book combines diet instructions with lessons on the cognitive flaws in the human psyche that make dieting necessary for so many of us.

He runs a "food psychology lab" at Cornell University, where he and his colleagues study how we make out eating decisions and how they can be manipulated. That gives this book a twist, since it is as much a book on human cognition as Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational or Leonard Mlodinow's The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives.

Wansink has a good style for this kind of book, too. Breezy and humorous enough to keep you reading, but with enough depth and substance to provide credible guidance.

It doesn't take too much time to finish the book; a moderately quick reader will probably take most of a weekend. The chapters and sections within them also make it easy to read this in sporadic chunks.
­ ...more

3

Sep 29, 2007

I bought this book at a conference after reading just the title. Fully aware that I myself am a mindless eater (most of us are, so don't think you're immune!), I was curious to see what the book had to say about our eating habits.

This book was very interesting and laugh-out-loud funny in parts, too. (Believe me, I got a few odd looks as I was reading this during the conference's keynote address.) The experiements that the author has conducted in his lab and elsewhere to reveal the hidden cues I bought this book at a conference after reading just the title. Fully aware that I myself am a mindless eater (most of us are, so don't think you're immune!), I was curious to see what the book had to say about our eating habits.

This book was very interesting and laugh-out-loud funny in parts, too. (Believe me, I got a few odd looks as I was reading this during the conference's keynote address.) The experiements that the author has conducted in his lab and elsewhere to reveal the hidden cues that cause us to eat more than we need to are intriguing.

The bottom line: Americans eat using visual cues - how big is the package or plate? how much are the people around us eating? what does the label say? Believe it or not, if the label makes some sort of health claim ("helps lower your risk of heart disease," "low fat," etc.), we eat more of it because we are lured into a false sense of security.

The motives behind our eating habits were very eye-opening. While not realizing that I fall into those traps while they're happening, I find myself going, "I do that!" while I'm reading about them after the fact.

The one downfall to the book, in my opinion, is the easy-as-pie way Wansink makes changing those habits sound. At the end of each chapter he offers what he calls "Reengineering Strategies" for turning "mindless" eating into "mindful" eating. They are good suggestions, but putting them into practice in a world where we are constantly bombarded with a "more is better" attitude is more difficult than it sounds. However, at the end of the day, we are all accountable for what we choose to put into our bodies, McAdvertising be damned.

Interesting (and very quick!) read. ...more

2

Jan 12, 2013

I found Wansink's accounts of his research to be totally fascinating. He writes about his experiments carried out at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab that gave his team insight into how packaging, surroundings, and other cues influence how and how much people eat. While I loved reading about the experiments, I found it unfortunate that this book seemed to pose as a diet book. Wansink gives recommendations for changing eating behaviors based on his research, which I find unnecessary--the I found Wansink's accounts of his research to be totally fascinating. He writes about his experiments carried out at Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab that gave his team insight into how packaging, surroundings, and other cues influence how and how much people eat. While I loved reading about the experiments, I found it unfortunate that this book seemed to pose as a diet book. Wansink gives recommendations for changing eating behaviors based on his research, which I find unnecessary--the findings speak for themselves. Additionally, he is not a nutritionist. The text has a calorie obsession, endlessly tallying. Certainly, I am biased, being against the idea of basing dietary wellness on calorie tabulation to begin with, but Wansink's tireless focus on slashing calories made me question his entire approach to eating. Really, is the amount of food we're eating always the problem? Is eating less always the answer? ...more

4

Apr 22, 2009

I breezed through this book in just a few hours. Much of its advice is common sense, but the fact it is backed up by actual research studies gives it more weight. The studies conducted are fascinating - especially those conducted on behalf of the Army on how to get stressed out troops in combat environments to eat MORE - and Wansink's voice is fun. Nothing is belabored and he advocates making a few changes to ones habits and looking for longterm results since the body responds to "diets" by I breezed through this book in just a few hours. Much of its advice is common sense, but the fact it is backed up by actual research studies gives it more weight. The studies conducted are fascinating - especially those conducted on behalf of the Army on how to get stressed out troops in combat environments to eat MORE - and Wansink's voice is fun. Nothing is belabored and he advocates making a few changes to ones habits and looking for longterm results since the body responds to "diets" by storing more fat. Very practical and a pretty fun read. I particularly liked "what's your personality" based on soup preference. For me, it was dead on. ...more

5

Dec 02, 2012

I read this book for work. It was one of my goals this year. I am an oncology dietitan by day since my husband seems to think that we need actual food to eat and books just won’t cut it (pah!).

I was amazing! I absolutely loved it. I have presented his information 3 different times to other dietitians and doctors. It is so interesting that I even got my doctors to engage in dialogue with me about it. It is easy enough that anyone can read it and understand it, but it is interesting enough to I read this book for work. It was one of my goals this year. I am an oncology dietitan by day since my husband seems to think that we need actual food to eat and books just won’t cut it (pah!).

I was amazing! I absolutely loved it. I have presented his information 3 different times to other dietitians and doctors. It is so interesting that I even got my doctors to engage in dialogue with me about it. It is easy enough that anyone can read it and understand it, but it is interesting enough to keep anyone engaged. It provides practical tips to change our eating in small ways that we won’t feel like we are depriving ourselves. I have already requested that three of my patients read it for themselves and my boss can’t wait until I finish it to read it for herself. We will be ordering half a dozen copies to keep in our office for people to borrow.

In short, this book looks at why people eat and why they eat so much. It is just theories, it is backed up by studies that the author himself (and his team) have run countless times to get insight into our eating in almost every situation. This book will change how I eat and how I practice as a dietitian.
READ IT!
...more

4

Mar 24, 2019

Brian Wansink is a food psychologist, an American professor, and a former Executive Director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. His book Mindless Eating summarizes some of his research, much of which is focused on how external cues like packaging, portion sizes, and presentation can influence how much we eat.

Published back in 2006, some of the information feels dated. For example, his work showed that eating a designated portion from a smaller plate would lead to more Brian Wansink is a food psychologist, an American professor, and a former Executive Director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. His book Mindless Eating summarizes some of his research, much of which is focused on how external cues like packaging, portion sizes, and presentation can influence how much we eat.

Published back in 2006, some of the information feels dated. For example, his work showed that eating a designated portion from a smaller plate would lead to more satisfaction than if eating the same portion from a larger plate. Probably groundbreaking once upon a time, but not so much now.

That said, most of the book details ways in which our environment can lead to mindless overeating. From smaller plates, to smaller portion sizes, to out-of-sight-out-of-mind, he suggests that we can use what he's learned about mindless overconsumption to actually promote mindless (ie painless) calorie control.

Most of us don't eat because we are hungry, and more importantly we don't stop eating when we are full. We look to other cues to determine how much and for how long we continue to eat.

The book certainly raises awareness, though I find Wansink's assertion that cutting 100-200 calories through "mindless calorie control" might actually solve our weight problems to be somewhat naïve.

Bottom line, as a means of increasing awareness, it's a great read. We live in a day and age where the strategies we've adopted to survive, no longer serve us. Our cravings for salty, sweet, and fat, which originally kept us from starvation, are now causing us to overeat, often to the point of illness and disease. And perhaps more importantly, and less obvious, is the context in which we eat significantly impacts calorie consumption. ...more

2

Jul 03, 2013

I picked up this book because one of its studies was cited in another book I read, and I was interested in reading about things that influence our eating habits--but I was disappointed. I wish it would have focused more on presenting the research and less on giving weight loss advice. The research itself was interesting and I'd enjoy reading more about the findings, but the advice was mostly not new. I'd heard it all before from many sources. The research could have made those points or I picked up this book because one of its studies was cited in another book I read, and I was interested in reading about things that influence our eating habits--but I was disappointed. I wish it would have focused more on presenting the research and less on giving weight loss advice. The research itself was interesting and I'd enjoy reading more about the findings, but the advice was mostly not new. I'd heard it all before from many sources. The research could have made those points or suggestions in a much more compelling way. ...more

4

Dec 30, 2015

I think this supposedly weight-loss book gives more useful and interesting marketing strategies or tactics than other counterparts. :-) I am going to adopt the labeling method for my project right now!

3

Jan 18, 2017

Bullet Review:

This was okay. I wouldn't say I learned anything particularly ground-breaking, but what I think the book does best is try to make small changes instead of overhauling your entire meal plan and eating only raw vegetables or switching to a paleo diet. I did find the various studies interesting, but again, I've read a couple of psychology books, so I get that we think we're way smarter than we are. (But we aren't.) Hell, I can just tell you from my own personal experiences that I have Bullet Review:

This was okay. I wouldn't say I learned anything particularly ground-breaking, but what I think the book does best is try to make small changes instead of overhauling your entire meal plan and eating only raw vegetables or switching to a paleo diet. I did find the various studies interesting, but again, I've read a couple of psychology books, so I get that we think we're way smarter than we are. (But we aren't.) Hell, I can just tell you from my own personal experiences that I have no clue how many calories I eat, give myself way too big of portions if asked to eyeball, and am a member of the "clean your plate" club. Just to name a few.

By far the best line of the book is the one it ends on: "The best diet is the one you don't know you're on". It's not a bad take-away at all.

The narrator was meh. Okay, but nothing to write home about.

I also wonder if this book would be better read in dead tree version just because of the tables and charts that appear.

But in case this sounds like a big fat no to this book, I just want to clarify: It was "OK". Neither bad nor amazing. ...more

5

Sep 07, 2014

So here's the subjective rundown. We eat mindlessly most of the time. Why? Because we are on autopilot.

But also because it is cultural in the west. People in the east (Japan, for example), eat to 'not feel hungry'. Westerners (Canada, U.S., for example), eat until we 'feel full'. As a result, getting fat, or eating too much is much easier for us than we care to think.

A big plate will trick you into eating more. More variety, such as different coloured M&M's will make you eat more (think So here's the subjective rundown. We eat mindlessly most of the time. Why? Because we are on autopilot.

But also because it is cultural in the west. People in the east (Japan, for example), eat to 'not feel hungry'. Westerners (Canada, U.S., for example), eat until we 'feel full'. As a result, getting fat, or eating too much is much easier for us than we care to think.

A big plate will trick you into eating more. More variety, such as different coloured M&M's will make you eat more (think buffet, you just 'need' to try everything). Even a bowl that fills itself, without you knowing, will make you eat more.

But to really show how dumb we are, do this. Take 2 bottles of the exact same wine, same age, same everything. But switch out the labels. One from California, and one from Detroit. Suddenly, the California wine 'tastes' better, in all tests with real people. As well, the drinkers believe their food tastes better, and they even stay longer to enjoy their meal. Rinse repeat with name brands from shoes, ketchup, and everything else on the market.

Now for fast-food, such as a bowl of chips, place it next to you, and you will pig out. Place it just a meter away, and you will eat a less. Place it 2 meters away, and suddenly it's too much effort to eat. We don't want to consume energy to get energy. This goes as deep as Risk vs reward, when a field mouse needs to run across a field to get a berry, while the watchful hawk preys on the mouse.

Oh, and manliness vs. being a woman. Men believe it's manly to eat a lot, especially on a first date, while women believe they should eat only a little, to be perceived as feminine. Not to mention, eating meats is more manly as well (despite the huge negative health issues with eating beef).

Then we have scientifically manufactured colours, tastes, and smells, which culminates into McDonalds and any other fast-food on the market. Each food is engineered to have the scientifically 'optimal' amount of the trifecta: salts, fats, and sugars. The trifecta feeds back into our primitive monkey selves, when food was scarce and dangerous to consume. Salts help us store water, fats help us store energy, and sugars told us that a food was safe for consumption... as opposed to a sour poisonous berry.

Food inheritance was interesting as well. Why do you hate that food? Why do you love it? Can you trace it back? Dig deep. Dig into your childhood when you first fell in love with that taste, or the process of getting to that food. Does it remind you of your parents, your friends, relatives, that special occasion? We associate our emotions to certain foods, plain and simple.

Finally, Subway sandwiches has been lying to you. Sure it might seem healthy, but is it really? How many calories are you actually consuming? Not too many less than a McDonalds big mac. Add all that sauce, meat, veggies, bread, a drink, chips, and a cookie, and you are eating maybe 1000 calories? Om nom nom, no thank you weight-loss Jared.

Common sense? Not when you eat with your stomach, and not with your head. Also, those low-fat variety foods are only fractionally low fat. But you also end up eating more of the low fat variety... you just tricked yourself.

Nonetheless, be MINDFUL of what you eat, but before you are, read this book. And if you are a fat shit, hit the gym ;) True story. ...more

3

Oct 17, 2012

Interesting market research about the various things that affect how much we eat, such as the size of a dinner plate and how quickly items are cleared away from a restaurant table. It's not a diet book, but at the end of each chapter Wansink does give tips on ways to easily cut out the 100-200 calories of mindless eating each day that make us gain weight over time.

I would recommend the book to those who liked "Fast Food Nation" and other pop sociology, such as Malcolm Gladwell or the Interesting market research about the various things that affect how much we eat, such as the size of a dinner plate and how quickly items are cleared away from a restaurant table. It's not a diet book, but at the end of each chapter Wansink does give tips on ways to easily cut out the 100-200 calories of mindless eating each day that make us gain weight over time.

I would recommend the book to those who liked "Fast Food Nation" and other pop sociology, such as Malcolm Gladwell or the Freakonomics books.

...more

4

Dec 26, 2007

What an interesting book! In short, it examined our (humans') tendencies with respect to eating: what makes us eat, what makes us enjoy food, what causes our eating habits. Through psychological studies, the author demonstrates that almost all of our decisions about food and eating are psychological and even if we believe we control them, we don't. He presents many cases and analyzes many different scenarios, all of which are very interesting.
Aside from this, the overall premise of the book is What an interesting book! In short, it examined our (humans') tendencies with respect to eating: what makes us eat, what makes us enjoy food, what causes our eating habits. Through psychological studies, the author demonstrates that almost all of our decisions about food and eating are psychological and even if we believe we control them, we don't. He presents many cases and analyzes many different scenarios, all of which are very interesting.
Aside from this, the overall premise of the book is to present a common-sense approach to dieting, which he calls the Mindless Diet. Unlike fad diets, which are either difficult or futile, in each chapter he presents several tips based on his psychological research that ought to help people slowly but steadily lose weight with only a small change of lifestyle. I recommend this book to anyone who knows he or she will want to lose a little weight before the summer (even though it is still winter). ...more

1

Jul 08, 2019

A absolutely fascinating book to read that was just marred retroactively for me by reading about all of Wansink's papers that have been retracted due to a variety of scientific errors, to the point that Wansink was removed from research and teaching by Cornell University last fall, and he just resigned a week ago. Sooo that's something. Skimming the list of 17 (!) papers that have been retracted, not every paper's results was included in the book, but several were. (Here's a Vox.com article A absolutely fascinating book to read that was just marred retroactively for me by reading about all of Wansink's papers that have been retracted due to a variety of scientific errors, to the point that Wansink was removed from research and teaching by Cornell University last fall, and he just resigned a week ago. Sooo that's something. Skimming the list of 17 (!) papers that have been retracted, not every paper's results was included in the book, but several were. (Here's a Vox.com article about the situation.)

I now wish I hadn't read this book, because I don't know what I can still trust from it—anything?! Well, at least I enjoyed it when I was reading it? And at least I'm thinking about what I'm eating these days . . . But what a waste. ...more

3

Dec 27, 2017

I'm at 42% and find this book to be rather interesting, although no shocking. The one thing that did surprise me is the possibility of scent-infused (or impregnated) bowls etc. to encourage people to eat more. Wow. So many cues out there that encourage over-eating or eating things that are not healthy. And even though most of the stuff is not so shocking and makes sense, it's still a good reminder to think about before and while you are eating, and when you are shopping.

Still getting through I'm at 42% and find this book to be rather interesting, although no shocking. The one thing that did surprise me is the possibility of scent-infused (or impregnated) bowls etc. to encourage people to eat more. Wow. So many cues out there that encourage over-eating or eating things that are not healthy. And even though most of the stuff is not so shocking and makes sense, it's still a good reminder to think about before and while you are eating, and when you are shopping.

Still getting through this book... today I read that you burn about one calorie for every ice-cold ounce you drink. So if you drink eight 8-oz (64 oz) glasses of water with ice, you will burn an extra 70 cals! Too bad I don't have better access to ice while at work since that is where I drink a lot of water! Although I do start my day with an ice water and end it with ice water...

Finally finished this book. It was interesting and I think I got some takeaways from it. Mostly to be more mindful about my eating habits and if some of them are not healthy, I can do some things to change them and make healthier habits. Most of it is common sense and it's not super shocking how marketing and restaurants manipulate us.

I've always found that serving sizes are way too large. I could be perfectly happy with HALF of a serving most of the time and most of the time, they don't allow you to order a half order... and leftovers are never as good... so yeah, I tend to overeat those meals so I can enjoy them while they are fresh... but I'm getting better at stopping before I feel full and just taking it go and if it's a loss (I don't eat it later) at least my waistline isn't suffering. ...more

2

Aug 02, 2016

Aug 2016 book club pick.
(library e-book)

Brian Wansink is a food psychologist who runs a lab focused primarily on determining why people make the food choices they do and what influences those decisions. As it turns out, we often don't consciously make food decisions; we eat primarily in response to to learned behaviors, peer influences, and our immediate environments (lighting, plate/package size, wrappers, company, music, etc.). In other words, most of us--at least those of us fortunate Aug 2016 book club pick.
(library e-book)

Brian Wansink is a food psychologist who runs a lab focused primarily on determining why people make the food choices they do and what influences those decisions. As it turns out, we often don't consciously make food decisions; we eat primarily in response to to learned behaviors, peer influences, and our immediate environments (lighting, plate/package size, wrappers, company, music, etc.). In other words, most of us--at least those of us fortunate enough to have access to plentiful food--eat not because we are physically in need of calories for fuel, but as an unconscious reaction to other things. I seriously doubt that is news to anyone, at least not anyone in North America.

My two-star rating for the book is not because the information isn't useful or that the overall premise isn't interesting. It's a quick read, and there's some fascinating results to the studies the food lab has done. I'm giving it two stars because I just really didn't much care for the writing and because I didn't find anything new in the material.

First, the writing. The book tries to straddle the line between being a book about research and a self-help/diet book, and it doesn't really do either very well. It tries too hard to be chummy and funny and chatty, to hit that pop psychology sweet spot that will get it mentioned on Oprah or Dr. Oz. I just wanted to read some science.

Second, the "knew that" reaction: I worked many years in food service. I worked a few years around marketing types. I read too much (if such a thing is possible.) This book was published in 2006. In the world of research and behavioral science, ten year old data might as well be 100 year old data. Any juicy or particularly fascinating parts have been stripped out and splattered all over other media. You've probably seen most of the "fascinating facts" and "helpful tips" everywhere from Newsweek to Buzzfeed. As a result, I really didn't learn much that I haven't come across elsewhere. Even if the author's food lab (which he will remind you about a thousand times he is head of) did originate the information, it still feels third-hand at this point. The "vintage" drawings didn't help. If anything, they made it feel more dated.

This book was the selection for our book club next month. I suspect I will find the discussion more stimulating than the book itself.

ETA: After reading this book, I saw Michael Moss' Salt, Sugar, Fat at our library and decided to read it as a follow-up to this book. In my opinion, Salt, Sugar, Fat is a much more informative and interesting book on the subject. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... ...more

5

Apr 16, 2009

I know it sounds trite, but truly this book changed my life. Or rather it helped me immensely at a point when I was already changing my life. I had weight loss surgery two years ago and read this book during my recovery from surgery. In the first year after my surgery, not only did the surgery itself help me loose weight, but becoming aware of all the things which caused me to eat when I wasn't necessarily hungry also helped me loose weight.

Learning to NOT eat mindlessly is helping to keep the I know it sounds trite, but truly this book changed my life. Or rather it helped me immensely at a point when I was already changing my life. I had weight loss surgery two years ago and read this book during my recovery from surgery. In the first year after my surgery, not only did the surgery itself help me loose weight, but becoming aware of all the things which caused me to eat when I wasn't necessarily hungry also helped me loose weight.

Learning to NOT eat mindlessly is helping to keep the weight off. WLS is not brain surgery, and if you don't change your thinking about food, then you'll gain the weight back. Mindfulness in eating and learning new ways to deal with emotional and stress triggers are the key.

I just reread this book to remind me again to eat mindfully and to recommit myself to my new healthy way of life. ...more

5

Jul 26, 2010

A fascinating book about the psychology of food and eating. It is primarily written by an American for Americans and it highlights so many differences between the US food culture and our own in the UK.

It is filled with records of sociological and psychological studies done in food labs and in resteraunts and with amusing anecdotes from the backgrounds of some of the studies too. Of all the other books I've read, the one it most reminded me of is Watching The English. It is not just about one A fascinating book about the psychology of food and eating. It is primarily written by an American for Americans and it highlights so many differences between the US food culture and our own in the UK.

It is filled with records of sociological and psychological studies done in food labs and in resteraunts and with amusing anecdotes from the backgrounds of some of the studies too. Of all the other books I've read, the one it most reminded me of is Watching The English. It is not just about one nationality this time though.

It is written with the express purpose of helping overweight people to watch what they eat painlessly. However, I think everyone can gain so much from it just in the understanding of themselves and their fellow man. I would recommend it to everyone. I will also be putting some of his suggestions into action too.

...more

5

Apr 06, 2011

Very straightforward, entertaining, and informative. I've read a lot of statistics that came from studies, and it's nice to see the studies fleshed out a bit more here.

This book made me hungry! Actually, this book made me hungry while I was reading it, but as soon as I put it down to get a snack, the hunger vanished.

I think that the main messages of controlling portion sizes (e.g. don't eat until you're full, instead eat until you're no longer hungry) and of creating a food environment at home Very straightforward, entertaining, and informative. I've read a lot of statistics that came from studies, and it's nice to see the studies fleshed out a bit more here.

This book made me hungry! Actually, this book made me hungry while I was reading it, but as soon as I put it down to get a snack, the hunger vanished.

I think that the main messages of controlling portion sizes (e.g. don't eat until you're full, instead eat until you're no longer hungry) and of creating a food environment at home that helps counteract "mindless" overeating would work well in conjunction with a lot of other diets or food plans. The appendices are also good to have as a nutritional reference and summary of the book. ...more

5

Feb 07, 2015

This was a really valuable book. I have already recommended it to many people I know. It is NOT a diet book. Instead, it talks about that "mindless" margin that we all have - about 100+/- calories that we can add/eliminate from our diets and mindlessly gain/lose weight.

The author runs a food lab in Cornell, and it is all research based. Small things like: plate size, serving size, music, taking away bones/glasses, even saying that a wine is from California vs. North Dakota all influence how we This was a really valuable book. I have already recommended it to many people I know. It is NOT a diet book. Instead, it talks about that "mindless" margin that we all have - about 100+/- calories that we can add/eliminate from our diets and mindlessly gain/lose weight.

The author runs a food lab in Cornell, and it is all research based. Small things like: plate size, serving size, music, taking away bones/glasses, even saying that a wine is from California vs. North Dakota all influence how we eat.

This is a great book, and I will continue to recommend it to all folks I know who are concerned about eating. ...more

3

Sep 25, 2011

The basic premise is that by setting yourself up for success in various areas where you eat mindlessly, you can shave off calorie consumption, improving your health long-term. I dunno. If I intentionally do things to trick myself, does that defeat the purpose? Some of the ideas were interesting, and heck, they can't hurt, but I'm not sure it is exactly revolutionary.

3

Jan 11, 2018

This book talks about how certain environments, social engagements, personal habits and marketing ploys effect how much we eat. I thought the author researched this subject quite thoroughly, as that is how he makes his living, and he has a lab to do his experiments with on a day to day basis. He says we can lose up to 20 lbs just by shaving off 100-200 calories a day (by watching and being mindful of how much food we eat). His belief is that half our plate should be veggies, a quarter of our This book talks about how certain environments, social engagements, personal habits and marketing ploys effect how much we eat. I thought the author researched this subject quite thoroughly, as that is how he makes his living, and he has a lab to do his experiments with on a day to day basis. He says we can lose up to 20 lbs just by shaving off 100-200 calories a day (by watching and being mindful of how much food we eat). His belief is that half our plate should be veggies, a quarter of our plate should be meat or protein, and the other quarter of our plate a starch (potato, rice, pasta). Then on the side of our plate a small cup of pudding or ice cream OR one cup of milk or yogurt, and then a small piece of fruit to top it off. This is based on the U.S. Food Pyramid, in which he had a say so on the making of the new pyramid.

I rate this book a 3.5. It had some ideas I liked in it, like getting rid of your "platters" at home and eating off a smaller plate so you don't overeat, and things of that nature, but I'm concerned about the fact that it doesn't discuss some of the most horrible ingredients in packaged/processed foods which are detrimental to our health and that can also cause weight gain. I think the author doesn't want to piss off our food industries by saying anything negative. The author is very much part of the food industry in his belief it's ok to eat jelly beans (or anything for that matter), just not so many in one sitting.

This isn't a "diet" book (I don't like that word anyways). This is a book discussing how we overeat on a consistent basis (at least in the United States), due to many factors and he goes into those factors so we can be aware of them. This isn't a book for people with allergies to foods, what ingredients are horrible in processed foods, or how to be more healthy. This is strictly an awareness book on how marketing, eating with friends and family, what personal habits you may have that contribute to your overeating "Americanized" food. Other countries don't seem to have that problem (unless they also become westernized with their diets). ...more