Making simple changes to your daily routine – such as dining off of smaller plates and not eating in front of the television – could help reduce your waistline, reports the Daily Mail.
Serving size can have a huge influence on how much we eat. One study, presented at the American Psychological Association convention, found that moviegoers ate 45 percent more popcorn when given an extra-large tub instead of a large one. Even when they were served stale popcorn, those with the bigger bag still ate 34 percent more.
Another study found that individuals lost up to two pounds a month by making small changes to their routines, such as serving meals on salad plates instead of dinner plates, hiding unhealthy food somewhere out of sight, and avoiding eating in front of the TV.
"The secret is to change your environment so it works for you rather than against you," explained Dr. Brian Wansink, a researcher from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
"These simple strategies are far more likely to succeed than willpower alone. It’s easier to change your environment than to change your mind. People don’t think that something as simple as the size of a bowl would influence how much an informed person eats."