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Could counting the number of swallows it takes to finish a meal be more effective than counting calories?

Self-control is one of the biggest issues faced when trying to diet. Defined as the war between willpower and desire, overindulgence is inevitable when people do not pay attention to what and how much they eat---literally.

Dieticians and other health officials note that while some people have a natural ability to control how much they consume, be it through fear of gaining weight or just being satisfied quicker, other consumers are advised to note not only the kinds of foods consumed and how many times a day they eat but how many times they swallow during any given meal.

In a series of studies, researchers Joseph P. Redden of the University of Minnesota and Kelly L. Haws of Texas A&M University found that consumers who successfully control their diets eat fewer unhealthy foods because they are satisfied sooner. They also found that many consumers with poor self-control were able to establish greater control when they paid close attention to the quantities of unhealthy foods they consumed because simply paying attention made them more quickly satisfied.

In one particular study a group of consumers were asked to eat either a healthy or an unhealthy snack. Some of the consumers were asked to count how many times they swallowed while eating the snack.

Results showed that consumers who counted the number of times they swallowed were satisfied more quickly even if they otherwise had a low level of self-control. Monitoring how much they ate made consumers with low self-control behave similar to those with higher-self control.

In other words, throughout any given day, consumers should eat as much fruits and vegetables as desired but when eating sugary and fatty foods, dieters should take small to moderate size bites and count the number of bites taken to eat these foods. In this way, consumers will find that they become fuller faster.

"Dieters should focus on the quantity of unhealthy foods but not the quantity of healthy foods. Monitoring healthy foods could actually be counterproductive to the goal of eating a healthier diet. So the secret to success is knowing when to monitor your eating," the authors conclude.

This study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.