The Hidden Challenges of Dieting

Bad eating habits and poor diets are major health concerns in our society. Some of the most common diseases in our culture relate to how and what we eat -- coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. As a result, many people try, often times unsuccessfully, to change their diet. There are a variety of diet guides to help people make the transition from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. The themes are pretty consistent in these guides--the major goal to successfully dieting is willpower. A Google search on "how to diet successfully" will yield results for a popular web site that suggests boredom "is one of the main reasons that people give up their diets." Many people state self-control and willpower are the keys to a successful diet.

However, recent research has found that there are external factors that influence eating behavior which people are unaware of. The research, conducted by health psychologists, found that environmental factors can influence people's food intake. For instance, there is a strong relationship between the "presence and behavior" of other people and an individual's eating habits. A person is more likely to increase their food intake when there are more people eating with them, especially if those people are also eating large portions of their meal. Additionally, the portion of food people get influences how much they eat. If a person is served a smaller amount of food on a smaller plate, they are just as likely to feel full and satisfied as someone served with a larger plate with more food. This studied verified these claims, but went further by giving participants a survey to assess how much they were aware of the external influences of their eating habits. Nearly every participant said they ate how much they ate because they were hungry or that the food tasted good, even though the external factors had a significant influence on their eating habits. Overall, people were unaware of these external factors, even as it clearly led to certain eating habits.

Another study assessed the perception of eaters who ate from larger soup bowls. Participants were given large soup bowls that measured how much a person ate in comparison with participants with smaller soup bowls. The participants with larger soup bowls ate substantially more soup, 73% more, which was equivalent to 113 additional calories. However, those participants, on average, stated that they ate only around 4 calories more than the participants with smaller bowls. Obviously, the portions of food people get will influence how much they eat without them noticing exactly how much they are eating.

People will overeat without realizing they are doing it. Most importantly, they are unaware of the factors influencing higher food intake. "Willpower" cannot overcome factors that people are completely unaware of while they are eating. The researchers concluded "if external environmental factors influence people's food intake without their awareness or acknowledgement, then maintaing a healthy diet can be a challenge." There are hidden challenges to dieting that go beyond internal food desires.