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In search of a smaller waistline? Try bringing along a big-ass fork on your next restaurant visit.
According to USA Today, findings released from the Journal of Consumer Research show that people who use a large fork eat less than those who use a smaller utensil.
How do they know? In a field study at an Italian restaurant (where else?), researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City gave diners two sizes of forks. They found that those who used large forks ate less than those who were given small forks.
Hm, seems that size does make a difference. But why?
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“The fork size provided the diners with a means to observe their goal progress,” the investigators explained in a journal news release. “The physiological feedback of feeling full, or the satiation signal, comes with a time lag. In its absence, diners focus on the visual cue of whether they are making any dent on the food on their plate to assess goal progress.”
In other words, “I see food coming off my plate faster. Time to stop eating.”
The researchers also found that when diners were served larger portions, those with small forks ate significantly more than those with larger forks. The size of the fork did not affect the amount of food diners ate when it came to smaller portions.
The findings apply to restaurant customers only.
What say you fork friends? Does using a bigger fork sound like a good idea to avoid overeating, or is a matter of simply being more careful about how much food we gobble up when dining out? Let us know in the comments.
