Communication the key to men eating healthier
You know the saying: “Happy wife, happy life?” Well, according to a new study, married men are more likely to eat their greens at home in an effort to keep the peace with their wives, only to binge on junk food later on.
New research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health reveals how men are influenced by their wives when it comes to their eating behaviour. The study, which focused on 83 African-American men, told how wives often adopted a healthier diet for the family on the advice of a physician, without consulting their husbands. The husbands – on the other hand – maintained the healthy diet at home to appease their partners, but were then more likely to make unhealthy food choices outside the home.
Communication seems to be a key factor in men adopting a healthier diet. The study reported that the only time couples actually negotiated healthy diet changes was in order to benefit their children. Researchers, however, came to the conclusion that discussing menu changes as a team allows men to have a greater say in what they eat – which in turn leads to a greater improvement in their diet.
Novel approach to stop overeating
Most of us can admit to buying a bag of chips intending to only eat a handful, but then scoff the entire bag. Researchers from Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab have discovered a novel way to help – inserting edible serving size markers to act as a stop-sign to greedy eaters.
Researchers carried out an experiment on 98 college students, who were each served a tube of potato chips while they watched video clips in class. Half of the tubes contained chips dyed red indicating the suggested serving size, while the other half remained undyed to act as a control.
The students, unaware of why some chips were dyed red, consumed 50 per cent less, and were able to better estimate how many chips they had consumed. In contrast, the control group underestimated how many chips they had consumed by approximately 13 chips and ate more.
The study reveals how humans respond to visual indication, such as a clean plate or bottom of a bowl, to let them know when to stop eating. By inserting visuals markers, consumers may be able to better monitor how much they are eating, and interrupt their semi-automated eating habits.
Positive attitude increases life expectancy
Living to the ripe old age of 100 has often been attributed to good genes, with studies focused on genetic variations that offer a physiological advantage. A new study published in the journal Ageing, has found that personality traits like being positive and outgoing are
linked with longevity.
Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Longevity Genes Project, has revealed that centenarians share particular personality traits that may play an important role in good health.
The project, which included over 500 Ashkenazi (eastern European) Jews over the age of 95, and 700 of their offspring, detected certain genetically-based personality characteristics. The study focused on this particular group as they are genetically homogenous, making it easier to identify genetic differences within the population.
The detections – a positive attitude toward life, an outgoing disposition, optimism, having a large social network, laughter – were common threads for the studied centenarians.
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