Posted March 03, 2025 by Hilary Hassinger, Ph.D.
“When walking, WALK. When eating, EAT.” – Zen Proverb
Today’s fast-paced, high-tech society can turn eating into a mindless act that takes place very quickly. Instead of taking a moment to pause and enjoy a well-chosen meal, all too often we eat while driving, working, watching television shows or films, or even while scrolling through social media content on our phones or tablets.
Eating while distracted can lead to the development of unhealthy eating habits. Mindless or distracted eating can be associated with negative emotions, overeating, weight gain and digestion issues. Some studies have shown that we consume about 25 percent more calories when we eat with distractions present compared to when we give eating our full attention.
Not having enough time to consume a proper meal can be just as problematic. The human brain takes approximately 20 minutes to register that you are full. If you eat too quickly, you may eat too much before the fullness signal arrives. Just as driving distracted can make you miss your exit, eating while distracted can easily make you miss when to stop. Being too full does more than cause feelings of tiredness, sluggishness or drowsiness—it expands the stomach beyond its normal size, putting pressure on other nearby organs and causes discomfort.
Mindful eating is the practice of focusing your attention and awareness on your physical hunger, eating experience and body’s response to food. It is an observational and nonjudgemental approach to eating that can also help us distinguish between emotional and physical hunger cues. Taking a more mindful approach to eating purposely slows down the process allowing you to become more aware of fullness cues. Some have found this process to be an extremely empowering approach that can allow us to regain control over our food choices, portions and eating patterns.
Hilary Hassinger, Ph.D.
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