Bob's Healthy Book Review

If you have been to Hilton Head Health in the last few years, and sat in on my Portion Control class, you might remember that I often referred to a book entitled Mindless Eating. This book is incredibly relevant for those focused on weight loss, healthy living and developing a healthy diet plan. Brian Wansink, Ph.D. and the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab Director, wrote this must-read book based on hundreds of studies and experiments he conducted looking at what factors influence what and how much we eat. His research clearly shows how our environment strongly and unconsciously impacts our eating behavior. As a result of your visit to H3, I hope many of you have taken steps to create an environment that helps manage your portions more effectively, such as: getting smaller plates and glasses, keeping 'less healthy' treats out of sight and more healthy foods around.

Since then Wansink, dubbed the “Sherlock Holmes of food”, has continued his research and just released his new book entitled, Slim By Design. Wansink suggests that the most effective way to manage weight and maintain weight loss long-term isn’t to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do but to help them set up their living environment in a way that will help them lose weight naturally.  He not only shares new and surprising research, (who would guess that the color of the plate you use could influence how much you serve yourself by almost 20%) but provides specific recommendations as to how you can use that information in the areas where most of our food decisions are made: the home, restaurants, grocery stores, your work place, even your kids' schools.

I am looking forward to incorporating this new information into the Portion Control class here at H3, but why wait until you come back to get the benefit? Pick up the book and get started creating the environment that will help you become Slim By Design! Do you have a favorite weight loss or wellness related book?