USING mobile phones or watching television when eating are contributing to the UK’s obesity problem, according to a leading weight management expert.
Dr Aria Campbell-Danesh, a behaviour change psychologist and mindfulness expert who specialises in weight-related issues, says that being distracted by other activities when eating a meal means the brain can’t accurately register how much has been consumed.
And now he’s calling for people to turn off the television, leave their phones alone and instead focus completely on what’s on their plates.
“It’s easy to fall into the habits of playing with your phone while you eat, sitting in front of the tv with your dinner on your lap, or grabbing a big bag of crisps while you watch your favourite programme,” said Dr Aria, who spent years researching weight loss maintenance at University College London.
“But distractions like this divert your attention and so the brain is unable to accurately register the amount of food you’ve consumed. If you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating, this information is less likely to be stored in your memory bank.”
Dr Aria added that “research shows that eating when distracted impairs people’s ability to remember how much they’ve eaten. With fewer memories of what they’ve had that day, when they sit down for their next meal they’re likely to eat significantly more.”
His claims are backed up by a recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition which found that playing audio instructions encouraging overweight women to pay attention to their food at lunch reduced later snack consumption by 30 per cent.
At the same time an extensive piece of research supported by the UK’s National Institute of Health Research concluded that “attentive eating” provides “a novel approach to aid weight loss.”
“Research has also shown that each hour of increase in tv viewing is linked to an extra 167 calories being consumed by young people and children, who then tend to eat more crisps and chocolate,” said Dr Aria.
“Even the content of tv shows might make a difference – in one study people watching a cookery show ate significantly more chocolate covered sweets.”
After years of working in the NHS with patients with a range of problems including weight and self-perception issues, Dr Aria now runs his own training programme.
The centre of Dr Aria’s F.I.T. – Focused Integrative Training – programme looks at people’s mindset and their emotional attachment to food and weight loss, transforming the way they eat and developing new, mindful habits around eating and exercise.
The system helps train the minds as well as the bodies of those who take part, leading to sustainable success.
Tips from the doctor’s F.I.T programme can help people change their dining habits :-
- Sit down at a table to eat: when you’re sitting down at a table, you’re typically more conscious of the food that you eat.
- Reduce the distractions: turn off the TV, put down your phone, and move away from your work computer.
- Slow down: eat more slowly, chew for longer and put down your knife and fork between bites to fully savour your food.
- Engage your senses: notice what your food looks, smells and tastes like.
Dr Aria works between the North East and London, with clients around the country who he sees on a one-to-one basis.
For further information visit www.dr-aria.com