Research using a "bottomless bowl" [link] indicates that many of us use visual indicators (e.g.bowl empty) rather than internal feelings of satiety to determine how much of a food to consume at a sitting.

I propose a "bottomful bowl," somewhat the inverse of the cited apparatus, in which bowl content (e.g. soup) slowly leaks into a hidden recess below a false bottom. Saved soup may be returned to the pot, or consumed at a later seating.

Starting with a full bowl, one's eyes will see a large serving. As the bowl is consumed, it will empty at a rate faster than the rate of consumption, resulting in a visual cue that one has consumed the large bowl. ("I believe I ate the whole thing.")

Net result: satiety with fewer calories consumed.
-- csea, Jun 05 2009

Bottomless Bowl (Self-refilling soup bowl) http://www.mindless...ss_Soup-OR_2005.pdf
See Apparatus section [csea, Jun 05 2009]

Magic salad plate http://theinspirati...-magic-salad-plate/
the salad is printed on. just add a meat pie [simonj, Jun 05 2009]

Mindful Eating book http://mindfuleatingbook.com/
Worth a read (but not while eating!) [csea, Jun 05 2009]

not everyone in the world is trying to eat less.

you could achieve the same result by simply serving yourself less soup. The presence or potential to obtain surplus calories with very little effort triggers the body's effort to gorge. If you know that more soup is hiding nearby (the pot of soup isn't empty) then you will not be fooled by an apparently empty bowl. In a research setting the empty bowl cue is the only cue about the scarcity of food. If the empty bowl is sitting next to a large steaming pot of soup it doesn't work, additionally if it is resting next to a plate of warm mashed potatoes we aren't fooled.

How could we actually use satiation (loss of food drive due to scarcity) to achieve dietary goals? First stop bombarding yourself with images and information about food. Turn the TV OFF. Next produce food only in meal size quantities (diet programs rely on this trick). Third serve yourself entirely at the beginning of the meal in the kitchen and bring your plate to the table. The empty plate and the lack of other visible food, as well as the fact that more prepared food isn't hiding in the kitchen should give you maximal satiation cues.
-- WcW, Jun 05 2009


//you could achieve the same result by simply serving yourself less soup.//

Interesting assertion. [Links] to corroboration?
-- csea, Jun 05 2009


for less soup:fewer calories? I would need to do my own study.

I suspect that a small isolated change in behavior is unlikely to reduce overall calorie consumption. However if we attribute significance to the external visual cues then the most effective single thing that you could do is turn off you TV.
-- WcW, Jun 05 2009


[WcW] I came across the Bottomless Bowl experiment in a book on Mindful Eating [link2], which I have found to be quite helpful. My particular distraction is not TV, but printed material (newspaper, magazines, books, etc.)

It's a good thing I don't eat while reading the HB.
-- csea, Jun 05 2009


//gypped//
I hope you mean pleasantly entertained by delightful Romani folk.
-- Laughs Last, Jun 05 2009



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