A new talking plate is the latest tool to be used by the National Health Service in a bid reduce alarming obesity levels, including child obesity. The Mandometer, costing £1500 talks to the user, telling them to slow down if they are eating too quickly. The NHS are trialling the talking plate in a new study to discover whether changing the eating patterns of families who are overweight will help them shed the pounds.
Rather than dieting, experts believe that slower consumption of food will lead to a person feeling fuller, faster. Rushing food doesn’t give the brain time to register that the person feels full, leading to overeating and piling on weight. It is thought that using the plate to help a person eat slowly, will lead to the good habit of eating at a slower pace. The user places their plate of food onto a scale which is attached to a monitor. If the food is being rushed, a warning will appear on the screen.
A study which was conducted previously, resulted in obese children losing weight as their portion sizes gradually reduced. The weight loss carried on after the study. The latest study will be conducted by Bristol University, with 600 families taking part. Each family will have a parent and a child taking part, both of which are obese. General Practitioners and nurses from the NHS will assist with the study.
One of the founders of the Swedish company that created the talking plate, Per Sodersen spoke to the Sunday Times, saying:
Telling an obese person to diet will not work because dieting slows down the metabolism in preparation for starvation. What is more important is the speed at which you eat and to recognise when you are full so you eat less.
As obesity levels increase at an alarming rate, including child obesity, anything which helps is to be welcomed.
