Obesity is a common and global health issue. Despite the constant warning about obesity and the health risks like heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and certain cancer forms that come with it, people find it difficult to lose weight.
In an interesting turn of events, studies have shown that the most effective weight loss strategies is dietary self-monitoring. This method requires a person to record all of the food and drink that they consume throughout the day, noting portion sizes and preparation methods. Sadly, people who’re trying to lose weight often the least enthusiastic about this method, finding it too time-consuming.
"People hate it; they think it's onerous and awful, but the question we had was: How much time does dietary self-monitoring really take?" says Jean Harvey, lead author of the study and chair of the University of Vermont's Nutrition and Food Sciences Department. "The answer is, not very much."
In total, 142 participants took part in the study. They were mostly female, and 81 percent of them had obesity. The researchers also asked them to log their daily diet using an online program. From this data, the team could see not only what people were eating but also how often they recorded their food intake and how long they spent doing it. The team deemed the most successful participants to be those who lost 10 percent of their body weight.
In the first month, these individuals spent an average of 23.2 minutes per day recording their dietary intake. By the sixth month, this had dropped significantly to 14.6 minutes.
The team thought the decrease in time could be because of the participants’ increased efficiency or the online system’s ability to predict the food consumed.
If less than fifteen minutes is all it takes to be mindful of one’s meal and eat healthily, we think it’s a small price to pay for a healthier lifestyle.