A bigger grasp may actually result in smaller "mouthfuls". In simple terms, eating with a large sized fork may actually cause you to eat less. And this will surely prevent the incident of overeating at your favorite restaurant. This is what researchers at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, have suggested.
The research was conducted in an Italian restaurant where the subjects were provided with two fork sizes so as to regulate their bite sizes. The results brought surprises for the study authors. It was found that the diners who used bigger forks had actually eaten less compared to those who used the smaller ones.
The study authors have provided some reasons about this discrepancy. According to them, people who wish to eat outside already have a distinct objective of fulfilling their hunger. And this encourages them to put more energy and resources into this goal. They tend to take more interest in menu choices, eating and paying the bills.
The researchers suggested that the fork size provided the diners a mechanism to measure their goal progress. The explained that the feeling of fullness comes with a time lag. And if this is absent, then the diners look for visual cues.
The portions of food were also made to vary. It was found that the diners, served with larger portions, ate more with small forks in comparison to those ate with larger forks. Again, when the diners were given smaller portions, the size of the fork seemed to have no effect on the amount of food intake.
And researchers clarified that this effect holds true for restaurant customers only and not for people who eat at their homes with a goal of satisfying their hunger. They suggested that people should recognize their hunger signals to know where to stop.
