Why We’re So Fat

Fat. Now there’s an ugly word. The truth is one in three Americans is considered obese by the Centers for Disease Control. 17% of all U.S. children are too. It’s an astounding number. How has it come to this?

According to FastCompany, our brains aren’t prepared to handle the all-you-can-eat variety of food intake. Based on the primordial need to stuff our faces while we can, we often do. Our brains, apparently, are designed to prepare for rough winters and starvation. So we gorge ourselves, thinking it’s normal.

It’s not. We just don’t realize when to stop because our brains say it’s somehow okay.

Portion control is a term I learned while working on a campaign for Yum Yum Dishes, a fabulous company that creates ceramic dishes to provide acceptable food portions for weight control. We are not only what we eat; but how we eat it too.

So if you’re tempted to belly up to the next buffet and scarf a bit more than you should, think again. Eat a little less than you normally do and see how it feels. Eat slowly. Enjoy your food. If you do, you might notice that less is actually more. Let’s bring down that national statistic with a little more mindfulness.

Courtesy of FastCoExist.com

2 Comments

  1. wartica

    January 30, 2012 at 11:06 am

    I totally agree; I didn’t know what chewing was truly about, until a few years back. Now, I don’t get as hungry as often and I’m satisfied a lot sooner. Great post and I look forward to sharing more with you:))

    1. powerofslow

      January 30, 2012 at 11:49 am

      Hey Jon, thanks for your share. Please spread the word wherever you can. It’s a simple, yet revolutionary way to think about food. I think if more people examined their portions honestly, they’d be a lot happier to eat less.

      Best to you!

Leave a Reply