Could a Special Plate Treat Obesity?
Jun
14Posted in [General Health], [Kid’s Health], [Weight] By LifeWayKefir LifeWayKefir
6/14/2010 12:08 PM
All sorts of gadgets exist to help us monitor how much we’re eating and how fast we’re doing it: iPhone apps and BodyBuggs, bowls marked like measuring cups inside and even high-tech forks and spoons that flash green, signaling “Time to eat.” (After 40 seconds, the light switches to red, telling you to Put Down The Fork for 25 seconds.)
Now, a device that’s been used to successfully treat eating disorder patients is entering the fray. The Mandometer has historically re-taught anorexic and bulimic patients how to eat, showing them how to recognize hunger and satiety with the help of a mini- computer that receives information from a small scale beneath your plate of food. The Mandometer® Clinics offer some pretty impressive research to back up their claims: 75 percent of patients go into full remission; 90 percent of those individuals do not relapse over the next five years But, says Mandometer Clinic founder and CEO Cecilia Bergh, anorexics and bulimics aren’t the only ones who can benefit from re-learning how to eat at a normal pace: She believes overweight kids may be able to slim down without resorting to diets, medications with nasty side effects or even gastric bypass surgery.
She expects to see a significant number of plus-sized children at the soon-to--open Mando New York City clinic, which will also treat underweight patients. Their concept: Patients use the Mandometer to pace themselves as they eat, so they can better gauge how full they are. The goal is to consume around 350 grams of food in 12 to 15 minutes. The machine doesn't calculate calories, but instead measures grams of food. The goal is to eat around 350 grams of food in 12 to 15 minutes. To give you an idea of what that means, that’s a five-ounce chicken breast (142 grams), a cup of chopped broccoli (91 grams) and a half cup of rice (about 100 grams).
Honestly, we feel like every single American -- ourselves included -- could benefit from some alone time with a Mandometer, whether you’re overweight, anorexic or anywhere in between. The pace at which so many of us eat far exceeds 350 grams in 15 minutes, whether it’s steamed veggies and oatmeal or cheeseburgers, pizza, and ice cream. (There’s a reason it’s called fast food -– you eat it so fast, you don’t even need to get out of your car.)
It would be nice if we could instill this slower pace of eating in our kids at a younger age AND model it for them by practicing it ourselves. That way, we wouldn’t need Mandometers or iPhone calorie apps…or pediatric bariatric surgery.
What do you think? Would YOU try a Mandometer?
On processing, please waiting for ...