Reasons for overeating
1. Meal size
Research has shown that the visual aspects of a meal, such as its size, are a major cause of overeating.
2. Dietary diversity
We usually get used to the taste of food when we crave it, which means we enjoy it less and therefore stop eating. This effect is called "special sensory satiety". For example, when we have a varied plate of food, it plays a huge role in increasing our desire to receive that food.
When researchers tested the effect, they found that people ate four times as much as before if they ate several different foods.
3. Distractions
People often eat while doing other things, such as watching TV or engaging in social media. But eating while distracted interferes with the mechanisms that prevent food from continuing. Also, when you are upset, it will be harder to become aware of feeling full and you need to eat more food to reduce hunger.
You have probably heard that you tend to eat more when you are distracted; But what you may not know is that this effect continues throughout the day. Distraction can make it harder for you to both be aware of the fullness of your stomach when you crave food and to remember the foods you eat during the day, which means you can eat more during the day.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol increases the likelihood of overeating due to decreased self-control. It can make food even tastier. Recent research suggests that it may impair your ability to monitor your body's signals.
5. Eating with others
Eating a meal with other people increases the amount you are likely to eat.
This effect is enhanced when we have a close relationship with the people we crave because we feel a stronger need to identify with them. This is primarily a social effect, however, recent research suggests that this phenomenon may also affect your food cravings experience. If the people you interact with enjoy a particular food, they suggest that it tastes good. This, in turn, increases the amount received.
Research also shows that craving for food without any distractions reduces the current intake of the food eaten by increasing awareness and memory.
6. Tired
Food is often used as a pick-up when we are feeling tired and the thing is symptoms of tiredness can be mistaken for hunger. First off you need to get into a good sleeping routine; the optimum time to sleep is between seven to eight hours so make sure you are getting your quota. Also, think about the times when you feel tired the most, is it a mid-afternoon slump or maybe just when you get in from work?
Once you establish a pattern of when you tend to feel tired you can combat it by going for healthier snacks rather than raiding the vending machine to give you a perk up.
