the manners and weight loss connection

I just read this article and found it interesting. Brushing up on your manners at mealtime may help lose weight. These recommendations don't come from a scientific study, but they make sense. Not only are these easy to add to your eating routine, but they will make your mother proud too! An excerpt from the article is below.

Lose weight like a lady! By Caroline Jones 2/03/2009 Mirror Diets.co.uk

The secret to finally shifting those extra pounds could be brushing up your manners. So make like Audrey Hepburn and follow our ladylike diet to drop a (posh) dress size...
Manners are terribly important if you're trying to make a good impression at a job interview, on a date or at a party.
However, there's an even better reason to eat with proper etiquette - it can help fight flab.
Lack of table manners, bad habits such as eating too quickly, opting for extra large portions of TV dinners and the demise of family meal times are seen as big factors in Britain's obesity problema.
Indeed, according to a study, published in the British Medical Journal, wolfing down your meals could as much as triple your risk of being overweight.
A recipe for flab
Speedy scoffing piles on the pounds much more than scientists expected.
They suspect that the joint impact of eating fast and until you're full overrides brain signals which would normally encourage a little more self control . Simply slowing down the rate at which you eat, on the other hand, gives your brain a chance to register when you've eaten enough, meaning you stop before you've overdone it.
All-round better behaviour
But eating at a more ladylike pace isn't the only calorie-fighter when it comes to good food etiquette. Smaller portions, not talking with your mouth full and sitting at the table to eat can all reap big weight-loss rewards.
"A return to decent table manners would be good news for the nation's waistlines," says Paul Macarble, dietitian at the British Dietetic Association.
"We now know that eating too quickly can cause you to overeat. But it's also vital to make time for proper sit-down meals, rather than eating on the run or in front of the television and not to eat such big portions."
So instead of calorie-counting or banning your favourite foods, our easy diet plan will help you beat the bulge by brushing up on some old-fashioned table manners...
Smaller portions, not talking with your mouth full and sitting at the table to eat can all reap big weight loss rewards

THE 10 L ADYLIKE DIET RULES

Stick to these simple mealtime guidelines and watch the pounds fall off...
(1) Set the table for supper Recent years have seen mindless munching in front of the TV replace a more formal family evening meal. But eating round the table helps you to concentrate on the task in hand, allowing your brain to register when you're full. Chatting over dinner helps you to eat more slowly.
(2) Fix a tight schedule If you eat at irregular times you're more likely to crave unhealthy foods, as the body, unsure of how long it has to wait until the next meal, will stock up on calories. If you only prepare meals when you're already hungry, not only are you more likely to overeat, you're also more likely to reach for quick, fatty foods. Try to eat your meals at the same time.
(3) Take a suave stance Sit up straight. Don't put your elbows on the table or slouch towards your plate. Food should be brought to your mouth on the back of the fork. Not only is this considered polite but it will also aid digestion and prevent a bloated tummy.
(4) Choose classy cutlery Shovelling food into your mouth with your hands is not elegant, while using a knife and fork allows you to take control of how much food you put in your mouth. Cutting up small mouthfuls one at a time will lead to you taking more time over your meal and to identify the sensation of feeling full.
(5) Keep a stiff upper lip Never chew with your mouth open. No-one wants to see your chewed-up food, plus you'll end up swallowing air. Chewing too fast or with an open mouth is the main cause of indigestion. The longer you chew, the fuller you feel.
(6) Have polite pauses at mealtimes Wolfing down meals trebles your risk of being overweight. To help break the habit put your knife and fork down between each mouthful. Don't pick them up again until you've swallowed your last mouthful.
(7) Don't be a common calorie thief It's bad manners and even worse for your waistline to reach across the table and steal food from your companion's plate - or finish their leftovers. It can quickly add up to lots of extra calories.
(8) Remember, it's not genteel to grab If extra food is on the table, ask others if they'd like it before taking any yourself. Also, when serving yourself, don't take huge portions. Piling food onto your plate will just encourage you to overeat.
(9) Leave ladylike leftovers In the Victorian era it was considered unladylike and greedy to finish everything on your plate. But nowadays people often eat more than they want, for fear of offending their host. But there's nothing wrong with saying how delicious the food was but that your eyes are bigger than your stomach..
(10) Be selfless with sweets When you have a dessert or chocolates share them.
This way you can halve your calorie intake but still enjoy the taste without over-indulging and also make yourself very popular!