Plate weighing device 'can curb childhood obesity'
A talking, computerised weighing device that tracks how quickly food is gobbled off the plate could be a solution to childhood obesity, researchers say.
The Mandometer keeps tabs during meal times and tells the user if they are wolfing down meals too fast - a habit experts have linked to weight gain. In a trial with 106 obese children the gadget showed promising results, the British Medical Journal reports online.
After 12 months of use the children weighed less and ate smaller portions.
Their speed of eating was reduced by 11% compared with a gain of 4% in a comparison group.
What tends to happen when we eat alone or while watching the TV is we eat more quickly Lead researcher Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield |
But early in life, with instructions like "make sure you eat it all up", children are taught to override these signals.
KWA HABARI ZAIDI, BOFYA HAPA
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