Scientists at the University of Arizona (USA) say that if you cut food into small pieces, you can monitor your weight more effectively.
There is a high-calorie piece of pie in front of you. Try to divide it into small pieces, and you will not want to eat everything at once. Psychologists from the University of Arizona noted this interesting phenomenon in… animals.
For example, in 1989, scientists conducted experiments on rats in a maze. Food for them was divided into two parts – at the one end of the maze there were 300 grams of food, and at the other one – 4 slices 75 grams each. Rodents preferred smaller pieces and then, in the cages, they preferred granular forage, not a solid piece of food; and they ate less. Based on the results of this and other experiments, Arizona psychologists suggested that this rule (manipulation of perception) may be common to other living organisms, including humans.
300 students were invited to the experiment. Each one was offered a bagel (whole or cut into 4 pieces). Twenty minutes later, the students were given a free lunch where everyone could eat as much as he or she wanted. Those participants whose bagel were divided into 4 parts, ate less, ate fewer calories overall, and reported they were full earlier. And those who ate a whole bagel could control their appetite less successfully. So, if you want to lose some weight, cut your food into small pieces.
