Putting a Squeeze on a Family Ritual: Starting Bad Habits Early

Sure, it was messy but it was so good!

How sweet! Cute little pouches of pureed food—not for infants but for toddlers to slurp up. Designed for eating on the run, they also help to appease the difficult feeder. You know, when you fear your picky eater might starve by not eating her peas. 

And, they’re convenient for the challenged parent, juggling work and the demands of raising kids. Perfect for soothing the fussy little one while watching TV or simply while riding in the car. Allows for hands-free feeding so you can easily be typing on your ipad or dealing with work issues by phone while productively feeding your little one, too!

Professor Brian Wansink, the fabulous researcher known for his work on environment and eating behaviors may be ambivalent about these, but my opinions are solid. I would never feed these newly popular foods in a pouch (described in the NY Times article Putting a Squeeze on a Family Ritual) to my kids. Never mind that my sons are in their twenties (years, not months, that is). Still, if I did have toddlers, these would be the last things I'd purchase to feed my children.

Now before you leave this page thinking this is irrelevant to you—that you, too, have no young kids to feed, nor care to learn about approaches to feeding toddlers—let me make a point: this has everything to do with you and with managing your weight. You’ll likely learn as much about feeding yourself and self-regulating your own intake as you might your kids.

So what’s my problem, you’re thinking? Let me highlight a few of my concerns.

Distracted eating

Yes, that's a grapefruit he's eating. With a spoon. Not pureed.

Mindful eating enables us to fully appreciate our food with all our senses. And it slows us down. In doing so, we can better appreciate when we’ve had enough, helping to prevent overeating. Distracted eating—eating while on the phone, while watching TV, or even while jumping on the trampoline (an example pulled from this NY Times article) is anything but mindful.  Eating while distracted may lead to overeating. (Although, for those anorexic patients I see, it may enable eating food that wasn’t intended—and that could be a good thing). It is challenging enough to change behaviors in adulthood that perhaps only started recently. I could only imagine what it would be like to shift these behaviors in adults raised mindlessly sucking down pureed food goo.

Regulation of juices, sodas and mush? Not so easy.

It’s well established that we don’t do a very good job regulating our intake of caloric beverages such as juices and sodas. It’s challenging for our body to recognize when it has had enough calories from such beverages, so we certainly need to be aware of our portions. Again, for some needingto increase their intake, this form of nourishment is quite helpful. Less has been explored about the impact on feeding a less-than-solid but greater than liquid calorie diet, such as the slush-from-a-pouch.

Mealtime a thing of the past? Are we really too busy to parent? To nourish our kids with attention, with positive interaction, and with calories and other nutrients?

Even when camping, there's time for meals.

Maybe I’m an idealist, but I cherished the family dinner with my young family. It was a time to connect, to hear about their day, to be present. Sure, when the little ones would toss their food off their tray it would come to an abrupt end. But it was good while it lasted. And it established a tradition that lasted throughout the years (the family eating, not the throwing of food!) It was a time we were all theirs—we were not blogging, texting or talking on the phone. We were simply present—if only just for the mealtime.

If we don’t have time for what may be our most important job—parenting—it’s really a sad state we’re in. An acquaintance recently stated that he had no time to deal with exploring college options for his daughter with special needs—he had some very important business deals that needed his full-time attention! Seems like parents choosing feeding pouches may feel similarly.

Gone is the motivation for change.

Feeding our kids is often what motivates parents to shape up their own diet and eating behaviors. They want their children’s experiences to be positive—to feel good about their body, to be healthy and fit. They care about their little ones’ intake, but had previously not given much thought to their own eating. Having kids can change that, unless of course, family meals are eliminated. Gone is the need for role modeling and healthier eating for parents.

What’s normal and appropriate anyway?

Perhaps because we view smoothies and meal replacement shakes as eating, pouches fit the bill for our little ones. But what about the experience of eating? It’s enough that movies go with popcorn, and we need hot dogs at baseball games. Must we solidify the link from the youngest age, between eating and other activities? Must riding in a car be accompanied by fueling your body? Will they not expect to be eating, mindlessly, once they start to drive? I mean, isn’t that what they’ll have learned to associate with doing whenever they’re in the car?

Neil Grimmer, chief executive of Plum Organics, sees it as empowering children. “It’s on-the-go snacking, on-the-go nourishment,” he said. “It moves with kids and puts the control in their hands.” Seems to me that these days kids have more control in their hands than they need or want—perhaps limit setting would be a more appropriate parenting approach.

He further endorses feeding in response to hunger, and I’m all for that! In my mind, that necessitates parents connecting with their children and being aware of their cues. You know, taking note of when they start pushing their food away, when they have had enough. Or providing them with an additional few bites of cheese when they have finished what you served—just to see how much they truly need.  When they’re done, they will make it clear! This is quite different than serving a predetermined 100-calorie portioned food pouch. But the convenience of these foods and their inappropriate use in so many situations far from tunes in to a child’s hunger. See how this might be relevant for you, too?

Grimmer also states “Regular mealtimes just add one more item to the schedule”. Bummer. Now you have to deal with those kids you decided to have! Hain Celestial Group, the company that makes Earth’s Best baby food, sees it as the solution for the child who wants to be independent and self-feed. How about teaching them to use a fork or starting them on finger foods? Toddlers are developmentally ready for more than slush from a pouch!

This old momma thinks it’s time to shift our thoughts about feeding—our kids, and ourselves.

The Halo Effect. Your Thoughts About Healthy Foods Can Make or Break Your Weight Struggle.

Convinced of the health merits of such calorie-dense items as almonds, peanut butter and olive oil? You may feel more relaxed, more permissive about eating them as they’re nutrient rich and heart-healthy. After all, they’re good for you, right? So what’s the harm of eating them freely?

But then there’s the frustrated cry I hear most days, by seemingly educated dieters.

"But I eat so well, so healthily, I don't understand why I'm not able to lose weight”.

Thank you Jenny Wan-Chen Lee, a graduate student at Cornell University and her mentor Dr. Wansink for clarifying what’s going on here, confirming and quantifying what I’ve long experienced with my patients the past 25 years in practice. It’s called the halo effect.

What’s the Halo Effect?

Beautiful people are often attributed other positive features, simply because of their beauty. Their beauty radiates a sort of halo, influencing us to see them as smarter, more competent, and more likely to make a better president, for instance.

I enjoyed every morsel of this lavender flavored chocolate, and no,
it was not organic!

Growing evidence suggests that this halo effect may also apply to foods, ultimately influencing our eating. Research has shown that people tend to eat more calories at fast-food establishments claiming to serve "healthier" foods, versus the amount they’d have at a standard fast-food restaurant. Perceiving a food to be more nutritious, they’re less cautious and tend to overindulge. New research by Lee explored the halo effect around organic food, to see if people’s positive notions of organic items would lead them to perceive them as tastier or lower calorie.

“She tested this question by conducting a double-blind, controlled trial in which she asked 144 subjects at the local mall to compare what they thought were conventionally and organically produced chocolate sandwich cookies, plain yogurt, and potato chips. All of the products, however, were actually of the organic variety -- they were just labeled as being "regular" or "organic." Participants were then asked to rate each food for 10 different attributes (e.g., overall taste, perception of fat content) using a scale from 1 to 9. She also asked them to estimate the number of calories in each food item and how much they would be willing to pay.”

“Confirming Lee's health halo hypothesis, the subjects reported preferring almost all of the taste characteristics of the organically-labeled foods, even though they were actually identical to their conventionally-labeled counterparts. The foods labeled "organic" were also perceived to be significantly lower in calories and evoked a higher price tag. In addition, foods with the "organic" label were perceived as being lower in fat and higher in fiber. Overall, organically-labeled chips and cookies were considered to be more nutritious than their "non-organic" counterparts.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110410130831.htm

From my experience, this halo effect can have a positive or a negative impact on eating, depending on your eating issue.

For those struggling with overeating, the halo effect contributes to eating in

excess. Here's how it happens. If you perceive a food as healthy or good for you, and therefore acceptable to eat, you tend to be less mindful of portions of these foods. So consider that cry I hear frequently from new patients presenting for weight management. Assessing their intake makes it crystal clear—they are simply eating too much of a good thing!

And the Atkins and Zone Diets have made the situation worse, as I see it. If you were indoctrinated with the false information that protein at any cost is the answer and that carbohydrate is the culprit for your weight problems, it’s not so easy to let it go.

 And so excessive portions of protein rich foods are eaten, leading to excessive calories and therefore worsening weight struggles.

It may look attractive in the display, but... 

Trainers at the gym, are also frequently at fault, for propagating nutrition bubbe meises, or old wive’s tales. “Eat more protein to lose weight”, they convince their clients, who return to my office frustrated by their escalating weight (not, I might add, the result of increasing muscle mass).

When I started practice in the 1980s, I remember patients proudly sharing their progress. They'd declare that they had moved from Oreos to Snackwell's fat free cookies, consuming 6 or 8 at a time because they were fat free. But they missed the part that they were not calorie free. These patients were sold on the merits of Snackwells having no fat, which in that era was considered a good thing.

This very same halo effect has its benefits for those dealing with

restrictive eating disorders. It is often easier to include foods seen as healthy, even if only because of their organic label. Yes, for some people, certified organic chocolate feels safer as a means to increase calories than many other items might be. Similarly, a food attribute such as fiber content often allows people to select that food even if it is higher in calories. It's an effect I encourage taking advantage of, as it allows clients to become more comfortable with a wider range of foods.

What does this halo effect mean for you?

If you struggle with restrictive eating, you may find it easier to incorporate foods with some perceived health benefit, something you can justify as good for you. This often makes change easier. This will also lead to greater variety with less deprivation. It can then lead to transference of trust—allowing you to change items, to swap them—recognizing they are equivalent in nutritional value for weight and energy balance. Ultimately, you’ll be more likely to manage your nutritional needs, expanding your food selection and increasing your intake.

For those who believe that simply eating healthy foods without regard to physical need shouldn't result in weight gain, think again. Excessive calories relative to need is what impacts weight. Organic, high fiber, whole grain, omega 3-containing foods may all have their merits. But weight management comes down to calories in versus calories out.

Who or What Decides How Much You Eat? Taking Back Control of Your Eating.

Last weekend I attended a diabetes conference in NYC (Yes, that explains the delayed post!). And although most of you don't have diabetes, there's so much valuable info to share with you.

First, I learned these experts know nothing about the feeding needs of the sedentary. Yes, sedentary program attendees, myself included, get hungry while simply sitting in a chair for a span of many hours. So with breakfast at 7:45, I was ravenous by the 10:15 coffee break. Now usually, when we say coffee break, we mean something more than simply a caffeinated beverage. Like, maybe we’d expect a mini pastry or muffin, or some fruit? Perhaps the Diabetes Association was using us like lab animals, exploring the impact of low blood sugar on us.

Yes, these are them! My sustenance 'til break time.

In any case, I was shocked, and unprepared, for the absence of adequate, calorie-containing snacks to accompany my coffee. And so I relied on the tiny hard candies to get me through until lunch. How ironic. My point? Just because someone else thinks it's okay to not stop and eat between meals, doesn't mean you have to go along with the plan!

Similarly, just because someone else tells you how much you should eat, doesn’t mean that’s right for you. What do I mean? Just because Quaker oats now says that the serving size is either ½ cup dry oats or ¾ cup for their “heart healthy portion” doesn’t mean that that is right for you. Several years ago, Quaker increased their portion from 1/3 cup dry oats, 2/3 cup cooked cereal. Maybe that amount worked just fine. Just because they’ve adjusted upwards doesn’t mean you have to!

Amazing sandwich from Eataly, NYC which I ate too
much of, having not had an adequate snack at break.

Have you ordered a sandwich out lately? Just half of many sandwiches (take Panera, for instance) more closely resemble a full sandwich most of us would prep at home. And eating only half of most burritos filled with rice and beans and guacamole would likely satisfy—except that once we’ve unwrapped it, we’re doomed to finish it.

And if your spouse or mother-in-law usually plates your food, take charge and plate your own food! Then you can’t blame anyone else for how much you’re eating.

Because we eat what’s put in front of us, without regard to how full we are in the moment, and without delaying to see if we really needed the full amount.

Brian Wansink, PhD, presented a fascinating session on his research findings at this conference (see www.MindlessEating.org for more info). This creative researcher developed a strategy to evaluate what factors regulate our food intake, telling us when we’ve had enough. He cleverly designed a feeding study where half the participants were served a bottomless bowl of soup. Yes, the soup was secretly pumped into their 22 oz. bowl, keeping it filled. And what did he find? That people just kept on eating! They ate 73% more soup than those with a finite portion. Yet they didn’t think they had eaten more.

He also interviewed Americans in Chicago, and Parisians, about when they know they’ve eaten enough. Parisians reportedly stopped when they felt full, and when their food no longer tasted good. The Chicagoans, however, made no reference to physical sensations, stating they stopped when their plate was empty, or when their TV show was over. Maybe that’s the answer to the French Paradox. They enjoy their food, including rich pastries and processed breads, but they stop when they’ve had enough.

It’s not that hunger sensations can’t work for us. It’s just that we don’t tend to give them a chance. Remember the titration example? (see  http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/08/size-matters-but-not-how-you-think.html ) We don’t allow our bodies enough time to take note and acknowledge fullness. Instead, we eat mindlessly, quickly, consuming more calories than we need before putting on the brakes. Then we blame it on the carbs, or the fats, setting rigid rules about what’s acceptable to eat.

The solution? Take charge of your environment, and of your body’s signals. Even if you need to gain weight, you’ll feel better if you are aware of what you eat. It’s not enough to gain weight, but to learn to regulate a healthy weight.

First, find your voice, and negotiate change, when necessary. If you’re out with others and feel hungry, eat a snack you’ve brought or stop for something. Yes, even if you’re the only one who needs to.

Plate your own food, and take responsibility for your own eating. If you're struggling with being overweight, start with a smaller portion than usual, giving yourself permission to have more after 45-60 minutes—if you’re hungry. If you are struggling to gain weight, consider having your grains on a separate plate, which some find less overwhelming.

Use a smaller plate. The size of bowls, glasses, plates, popcorn containers dictate how much we end up eating. Such a simple trick really works! And Wansink and others have the study results to prove it.

Eating out? Have them cut your sandwich or wrap in half, and package each half separately. If you need the second half later, it’s yours to eat then—if you need it! That’s where listening to your signals comes into play.

Limit eating to the kitchen or dining room. Then leave that room and use distraction to avoid the temptation to mindlessly eat.

Control your surroundings. Keep food off the kitchen counters. And keep fruits and vegetables in glass bowls in the fridge where you’ll see them and think to eat them.

And remember. Slips happen! This approach may be new to you, and other factors besides your awareness may impact your eating. Address your stressors and boredom, if they trigger you to overeat.

And set realistic goals. Work on one change at a time, before setting another goal.

As always, I look forward to hearing what you think!