研究發現對着鏡子吃飯有助於減肥

Eating with a fork instead of a spoon can help you lose weight, new research suggests.

最新研究顯示，吃飯時用叉子不用勺，有助減肥。

A study by the University of Florida found that using a fork and eating from smaller, less fancy, and even paper plates will help prevent overeating.

美國佛羅里達大學的一項研究表明，吃飯時用叉子，或者用小一點的、不那麼花哨的盤子，甚至用紙盤子，都能防止吃得過多。

It also claims that putting mirrors in your dining room will help weight loss because they actually make junk food taste worse.

研究還表明，在餐廳放置鏡子也有助於減肥，因爲鏡子能使垃圾食品的口感下降。

The researchers asked 185 undergraduates to choose chocolate cake or a fruit salad and evaluate the taste.

研究人員讓185位大學生在巧克力蛋糕和水果沙拉中選擇一種食用，並對它們的口感做出評價。

Those who ate them in a room with a mirror scored the taste of the junk food lower than those in a room without one, but it had no effect on the fruit salad.

在測試垃圾食品的口感時，有鏡組比無鏡組的食用口感差，而水果沙拉的口感未受到鏡子的影響。

Lead scientist, Dr Ata Jami of the University of Central Florida, said: 'A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance.

中央佛羅里達大學的阿塔·傑米博士是研究小組的帶頭人。他說：“鏡子告訴人們的可不止是體態外貌。”

'It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviors in a same way that they judge others.’

“鏡子使人們可以從一個置身事外的角度觀察自己、評價自己，就像他們觀察別人、評價別人時那樣。”

The mirrors were found to push the subjects to compare and match their own behaviours with accepted social standards.

該研究發現，鏡子能促使受試者用普遍的社會標準來衡量自己，並用它規範自己的行爲。

The study's authors believe it proves that people don't want to look in the mirror when they feel that they are now adhering to those social standards.

研究者認爲，這足以證明：當人們覺得自己的行爲已經符合社會標準的時候，他們就不會想去看鏡子了。

When they do look in the mirror, feelings of discomfort and failure are enhanced.

而當他們吃着垃圾食品，想要看鏡中的自己時，不適感和挫敗感就增強了。

Therefore, the presence of the mirror induces a discomfort and lowers the perceived taste of unhealthy food.

這時候，鏡子的存在引發了人的不適，降低了垃圾食品的口感。

But, this is only the case if the person selects the food they are eating because they are responsible for that choice.

但是，只有當人們自主選擇食物時，這個規律纔會奏效，因爲他們要爲自己的選擇負責。

The study suggests that mirrors be placed in dining rooms and other eating spaces so people will start eating more healthily

因此該研究建議在餐廳等用餐地點放置鏡子，促使人們吃得健康些。

The study was published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

《消費者研究雜誌》刊登了這項研究結果。