Developing Better Eating Methods - Mandometer

Mandometer was developed at the Section of Applied Neuroendocrinology and mandometer clinic, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

It is a portable weighing scale connected to a small computer that can generate a graph representing food removal from the plate, with weight of food (grams) on the y axis and time (minutes) on the x axis.

The user puts a measured portion of food determined by a therapist on the scale and the computer records and displays, in real time graphics, the weight loss from the plate as the use eats: time zero on the graph effectively displays total portion size.

Removing food from the plate generates a gradually developing line on a screen that can be compared and matched to a pre-set eating line displaying the speed at which the therapist wants the user to eat.

Deviation from teh training line by eating too quickly or slowly ellicits a spoken request from the Mandometer to slow down or eat faster.

At regular intervals, a rating scale appears on the screen and the user rates their level of 'fullness': from 0 (no satiety) to 100 (full satiety). That rating appears as a dot on the screen, yeilding a "development of satiety" curve and allowing comparison of the development of fullness to a "normal" fullness curve again pre-set on the screen.

During the training the user gradually adopts a more normal pattern of eating and satiety by following these training lines and curves.

NB: This blog is provided for information only and is not in any way endorsing the Mandometer product.

Eating Healthily Can Mean Eating Slower

The British Medical Journal recently published interesting results regarding use of a mandometer with overweight kids.

A mandometer is a device used to gauge one’s rate of eating. Kids ages 9-17 that used the device were compared to children who didn’t. After 6 months, the mandometer-users had lower fat mass and an overall lower body mass index (BMI), and ate smaller portions and at a slower rate than their non-mandometer using counterparts.

Better yet, six months later the effects were still in place- the children continued to eat smaller portions at a slower eating pace. In other words, having spent time with the mandometer for six months really influenced a behavior change in users.

So what does this mean? It’s just nice when something we believe based on anecdotal evidence is proven through research—especially with results this significant. As a reminder, it takes our bodies anywhere from 15-20 minutes to recognise we’re eating.

The brain and stomach don’t connect the second we put food in our mouths. When you eat fast you may ingest an entire meal before your body recognises you’ve eaten. Then you reach for seconds, thinking you’re still hungry, and you don’t feel the discomforts of overeating until it’s too late. Eating too fast can also result in oesophagial reflux, gassiness, and bloating.

Past research has suggested eating too fast may also double a person’s risk of being overweight.

You can download and read the full report in PDF format. Click Here....

NB: This blog is for information only and is not in any way endorsing the Mandometer product.