By Mary MacVean 3:47 PM PST, January 23, 2013 It may seem a
little obvious, but one way to eat less is to take smaller
bites. Researchers from the Netherlands published a study
Wednesday in the journal Plos One that looked at what happened
when 53 people ate soup, taking various size sips – when they
were focused and when they were distracted. People who took
small sips consumed about 30% less than those who took big sips
and those who decided the size of their sips. And, those who
took larger sips underestimated how much they ate. “Consuming
small bites rather than large bites involves more bites for
consumption of the same amount of food. Due to a relatively
higher number of bites … small bites may lead to lower food
intake,” the researchers wrote. It’s also possible, they said,
that lower intake results from diners’ beliefs about how much
they are eating. “These findings stress the importance of
cognitive factors on satiation,” they said. So if you think you
are full, that makes a difference. But if a dine