It seems that we're eating too much food
Knowing when to stop eating is definitely something that we should all be aware of, but who actually listens to their body whilst they're enjoying a meal? It would seem, no one.
New research investigating the UK’s food portion sizes has revealed we may not be such a ‘Little Britain’ after all, with almost half of the nation admitting to frequently eating themselves into a state of digestive discomfort.
The ‘Eating Habits’ survey of 5,000 UK adults, conducted by new after-meal mint Setlers Mintees, found that 48% regularly eat until they feel ‘uncomfortably-full’ leaving them bloated, fatigued and suffering with stomach ache and even ‘the sweats’.
This regular over-indulgence comes as little surprise when it was revealed that 49% frequently go for second helpings during mealtimes, with 43% admitting they often scoff food left on family member’s plates after they had finished their own.
Leading broadcast nutritionist Amanda Hamilton says: “We know more about healthy eating habits now than ever before yet these statistics demonstrate that we are living in a ‘vulture culture’ society as research showed 25% of people didn’t consider their meal over until their plate was cleared, suggesting that perhaps childhood eating habits are hard to break and the ‘you’re not leaving the table until your plate is clear’ mentality remains to this day.
"Take back control and put an end to such frequent digestive discomforts by chewing 5-10 times per fork-full. This slows down our eating, aids digestion and allows more time to recognise when we have eaten enough. Sucking on a after meal mint such as Setlers Mintees is a great way to acknowledge that we have come to the end of the meal, helping avoid the urge to dive in for second helpings and aid digestion.”
Over half of women in a relationship admit to dishing out the same portion size as their partner at home. Therefore it’s little wonder that 42% suffered with bloating compared to just 30% of men and why women complained they had seen their dress size increase over the last two years.
The study highlighted that a reason for this could be habitual, with many people reporting that they don’t know how to recognise the signs that they are full. Twenty-eight per cent of Brits consider a meal finished when they literally can’t eat any more, while a quarter wait until they start to feel uncomfortable before stopping.
When do you finish eating?
Tagged in Diet Healthy eating Diet tips Healthy Food