The most interesting part of Mindless Eating was the fact that people follow eating scripts. It never crossed my mind that humans are so in tune to routine that it causes us to consume more food without even thinking about it. According to Wansink, author of Mindless Eating, "When we eat, we often follow eating scripts. We encounter some food situations so frequently that we develop automatic patterns of habitual behaviors to navigate them. Eating scripts are the icebergs of our diet. There are some eating scripts we are clearly aware of, but many more lurk beneath the surface of our daily activities. And whether we see them or not, they can sink our best intentions... (Wansink 94)." According to Rolfes, author of Understanding Nutrition,
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If a food is closer to them, it is more likely that they will consume it. If there is a greater amount of the food, it is more likely that they will consume more of it. According to Rolfes, “In one study, secretaries ate more chocolates when the candy was on their desks than when they had to walk six feet. Interestingly, the secretaries underestimated the amount of chocolates they had eaten when the candy was on their desk, and overestimated when it was a short distance away. The message is clear for people wanting to eat less candy (or any other tempting item) – keep it out of sight and in an inconvenient place (or don’t even buy it) (Rolfes 293).” If someone does not buy the food that they are mindlessly eating that is already breaking the routine. By starting small it allows for more growth and is easier than going through the process cold turkey. Accessibility is important to keep in mind when changing up the routine, otherwise one may get caught in the same current that pulled them into mindless eating in the first place. To break the trends of eating scripts that take over, one must first break their routine. Keep in mind that shopping for healthier options will allow for snack options that are better for the body, and make it that much easier to break the same old
If a food is closer to them, it is more likely that they will consume it. If there is a greater amount of the food, it is more likely that they will consume more of it. According to Rolfes, “In one study, secretaries ate more chocolates when the candy was on their desks than when they had to walk six feet. Interestingly, the secretaries underestimated the amount of chocolates they had eaten when the candy was on their desk, and overestimated when it was a short distance away. The message is clear for people wanting to eat less candy (or any other tempting item) – keep it out of sight and in an inconvenient place (or don’t even buy it) (Rolfes 293).” If someone does not buy the food that they are mindlessly eating that is already breaking the routine. By starting small it allows for more growth and is easier than going through the process cold turkey. Accessibility is important to keep in mind when changing up the routine, otherwise one may get caught in the same current that pulled them into mindless eating in the first place. To break the trends of eating scripts that take over, one must first break their routine. Keep in mind that shopping for healthier options will allow for snack options that are better for the body, and make it that much easier to break the same old