People given large servings of food eat more
than those given smaller servings, even after they have been taught
about the impact of portion size on consumption, a new study has found.
The study, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, highlights
the need to find new ways to reduce the effect of portion size on
overeating. "Studies have consistently shown that increases in portion
sizes for a wide range of foods and beverages result in increased energy
intake. And the impact is not affected by factors such as hunger or the
taste of the food," said Dr Lenny Vartanian, a senior lecturer in the
University of New South Wales School of Psychology and an author of the
paper. The team, including researchers from the University of Toronto
in Canada, found that learning how to engage in mindful - rather than
mindless - eating also did not decrease food intake by a significant
amount in those given large servings. In the study, 96 women were
served either a 350 gram portion of macaroni pasta with tomato sauce for
lunch, or a 600 gram portion. Those in the education group were given a
brochure about how external factors, such as mood, advertising, portion
size, and social and cultural influences can contribute to overeating,
and then asked to write about how these factors had influenced their
food intake in the past. Those in the mindfulness group were also
taught how to focus on the internal sensations such as the taste of food
and feelings of hunger and satiety, before they were offered the pasta.
"Neither of these brief exercises reduced the effects of portion size.
Overall, participants in the larger portion group consumed about a
third more pasta - 69 grams - than those in the smaller portion group,"
Vartanian said. This difference amounts to about 87 kilocalories of
extra energy.
Difficulty or inability to write a coherent text message, even in people who have no problem speaking, may become a "vital" tool in diagnosing a type of crippling stroke, according to a new research. Scientists at Henry Ford Hospital focused on a 40-year-old man visiting the metro Detroit area on business who showed signs of "dystextia," a recently coined term for incoherent text messaging that can sometimes be confused with autocorrect garble. But in his case, the man saw nothing wrong with the garble. The patient had no problem with a routine bedside test of his language abilities - including fluency of speech, reading, writing, comprehension and other factors. However, when asked to type a simple text message, he not only produced garble, but he was unable to see it as such. Despite showing only slight facial asymmetry and no other symptoms, doctors determined the man had suffered an acute ischemic stroke, in which a clot or other blockage cuts off blood supply t...

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