How to lower obesity, fatten wallet, at Chinese buffets
exzuberance
-at-chinese-buffets/
How to lower obesity, fatten wallet, at Chinese buffets
Aaron Crowe
Aug 28th 2009 at 6:00PM
The costs of obesity are enormous, and not just in health care costs, such
as increasing medication expenses 77% for someone who is obese.
Along with emotional and social effects, obesity can affect your wallet.
Obese men and women earn, on average, $7,093, or about 25% less than their
peers.
One American passion commonly blamed for obesity are the all-you-can-eat
Chinese buffets, or any type of buffet that lets customers eat as much as
they want. Sure, they can be cheap and save you money on dining, but in the
long-term, overeating at such places can be hazardous to your physical and
financial health.
Two researchers recently studied eating behaviors at all-you-can-eat
Chinese buffets
(http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/pdf/oby2008286a.pdf), and found
methods that skinnier people use, such as using chopsticks, and habits of
heavier people, such as sitting facing the buffet.
The conclusion by researchers Brian Wansink and Collin Payne that "small
changes in one's environment may lessen one's tendency to overeat."
Their work found correlations between high body mass index, or BMI, and
behaviors at the buffets.
Here are some of the things they found that any buffet eater may want to
keep in mind at their next visit:
* Sit in a booth. Low BMI patrons were more likely to sit at a booth,
versus a table. Booth seating makes it more difficult to return to the
buffet because eating companions may need to move or heavier patrons may
not comfortably fit in a booth.
* Don't sit facing the buffet. More high BMI patrons faced the buffet while
eating than low BMI patrons. If you're sitting with your side or back to
the buffet line, the tempting food won't be at the top of your mind.
* Browse first. Most low BMI patrons browsed the buffet instead of
immediately serving themselves.
* Use small plates. This comes as no surprise, but high BMI patrons were
more likely to use larger plates.
* Use chopsticks. The lighter customers used chopsticks to eat with more
often. Apparently a fork is like a shovel in a buffet line.
* Keep a napkin on your lap. Lower BMI patrons put a napkin on their lap
* Don't feel you have to clean your plate. I know your grandmother probably
told you to always clean your plate, but this study found that the low BMI
patrons left more on their plates than others.
* Chew your food well. Low BMI patrons chewed bites of food more than
others, at 14.8 chews per bite.
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reach
him at www.AaronCrowe.net
aem
> [snip]
> Two researchers recently studied eating behaviors at all-you-can-eat
> Chinese buffets
> (http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n8/pdf/oby2008286a.pdf), and found
> methods that skinnier people use, such as using chopsticks, and habits of
Seems to me they missed the most obvious difference in behavior
between the two groups. Namely, that the skinnier group stopped
eating sooner. And somehow I doubt that the ayce buffet has to be
Chinese .... -aem
rocket scientist
<0b767187-3d4a-4aa0...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com>,
aem <aem_...@yahoo.com> wrote:
and eating slower..It takes a few minutes for the "appet-stat" (sp?)
to kick in.
you can take your time, the buffet will still be there.
I like to start with the sea weed.
Mrs Irish Mike
removed. He ate and very little nutrition was absorbed before he
pooped it out. He couldn't afford the money needed to eat enough to
keep him healthy so he would seek out buffets. He had been banned from
every Old Town Buffett within driving distance.
One afternoon he invited me to 'dine' with him at Furr's Buffet, his
treat. Seems he was begining to be recognized there and he thought a
companion would add a little camouflage. We sat and he ate for hours,
going to the bathroom every 15 minutes or so. At one point he
commented that the food was not much different going in as it was
coming out. Eventually the manager stood in front of the bathroom door
with his arms folded across his chest daring my friend to push past
him, but my friend had long since stopped being effected by
intimidation.
I'm not sure what it was that made him decide to leave, maybe it was
because the employees were not refilling the trays of food. All I know
is we had spent the greater part of an afternoon at the buffet and it
was now approaching dinner time, and I wasn't in the least bit hungry
when we left.