Eating From a Square Cereal Bowl While Standing Is a Weight-Loss Secret, Study Shows

By Michael Serrur - Editor

Will breakfast ever be the same?You’ve been eating your cereal wrong your entire life, a new study shows. It might be hard to believe, but it looks like the shape of your cereal bowl might be the problem.

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A small, two-day study, conducted for Special K by Dr. Jennifer Newson of Oxford University, surveyed 78 women and found that eating cereal from a square bowl, rather than a round one, made participants feel more satisfied. Newson pointed out that “because the cereal looked more appetizing in a square-shaped bowl, the women found it more nutritious.” The research also concluded that eating while standing up increased the participants’ perception of fullness.

But conflicting reports exist regarding eating while standing. We’re more likely to eat faster when standing up than sitting down. A 2007 study published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that adult women who ate more slowly consumed fewer calories over time than those who ate at a quicker pace.

Overall, these findings reiterate a well-known fact: Slow, mindful eating will limit overall caloric intake. With that in mind, whether you eat sitting, standing, or out of a square bowl — take your time. It will save you some precious calories.

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