New research finds that simply placing a mirror where you eat can help you shed pounds – particularly when it comes to junk food.
In the study, from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, close to 200 students chose between a chocolate cake and a fruit salad and then they were asked to evaluate its taste – that is, while in a room with a mirror or with no mirrors around.
Those who selected the chocolate cake evaluated it LESS TASTY in the room with the mirror compared to those who ate cake without mirrors around them.
But the presence of the mirror had no bearing on the taste of the fruit salad. The researcher, Dr. Ata Jami, concluded that the presence of a mirror causes discomfort and therefore lowers the perceived taste of an unhealthy food. But eating something healthy like fruit does not induce any discomfort and, as a result, a mirror does not change the taste of the healthy food.
“When people consume a food product in front of a mirror, they compare their behavior with the ideal standards of eating,” says study author Ata Jami, PhD. “Accordingly, when they eat an unhealthy food, like chocolate cake, there is a discrepancy between self and the standards of healthy eating which leads to a feeling of discomfort. However, when they eat a healthy food, like fruit salad, the self matches up with the standards and there is no discrepancy between self and the standards of healthy eating. Thus, eating healthy food does not lead to a feeling of discomfort.”
Jami says this practice can result in fewer calories consumed – when he looked at brownies for example, he found that 23% fewer calories were consumed when the brownies were eaten in front of a mirror.
This research suggests that placing a mirror in dining rooms and other eating spaces so that diners can see themselves eat, can be an effective way for individuals and restaurants to encourage healthier eating practices. Or, carry a mirror with you so you have your own weight loss tool with you at all times.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151217151657.htm