Everyday Systems

(Here's part of my checkin from today.. Thought I'd repost this as an idea of it's own.)

This weekend I will make sure to have good potato chips, if I have any at all. I gotta say that I decided to experiment with the 40% reduced fat kind. Cape Cod Kettle chips.. Well usually I have the normal delicious ones and don't overdo it.. A whole bag usually lasts for two days split with Richie over the whole weekend.. This lower fat version was less tasty and paradoxically I found myself eating much more of it in hopes that the next bite would taste better!!haha! Doesn't that seem crazy!!!
So, forgive me, but it's all a big pile of bull$hit about the low fat stuff since you really end up eating more, out of pure dissatisfaction!!!
I knew this anyway.. and to top it off, it had waaaaaay much more of an over saltyness as well..
Yuck!
Give me real chips please

There's evidence for this, see

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6933686.stm

Small amounts of the good stuff is the way to go!

LM

You are SOOO right Deb!! I gained 25 lbs doing low fat, for exactly the same reason. I kept eating because the food was so unsatisfying that I was still hungry. I ended up eating huge amounts of food (something I never did before the stupid low-fat craze!!) and still wasn't full-and I was skinny before that, arrggh.

In the book Mindless Eating, which has been mentioned a few times already on this board, the author describes a phenomenon called the "Healthy Halo Effect." He did experiments that showed when people eat food that is marketed as healthy, they feel like they can afford to eat way more -- and do. They even go on to eat more completely unhealthy stuff, like they've somehow been blessed by this contact with the healthy food.

So any time you see a health claim on a piece of food you should be suspicious. It's a euphemism for "eat more!"

Reinhard

Thanks for all the replies friends!
Yeah Reinhard, it's almost given that people will automatically think they can now safely eat more of something when it's low this or low that or "healthy" haha..
I infact was hoping that because it's a fairly good brand of chips and it was only 20 calories difference per serving that it wouldn't be too far off from the taste of the regular ones, but now that I think of it, it's almost a trick to do that exact thing because it's not so horrible or off from the taste of the real ones that you stop and say "This is disgusting!!! I'm throwing these in the trash right now" and rather you just keep eating subliminally waiting for it to taste good.. So close yet so far! LOL..
London Mum, ta for the article!
Here's a passage that, although relates it all to rats seeking "calories", is quite similar to what I actually experienced except I was seeking "taste"..
Different semantics but basically the same drive..

"In contrast the younger animals learned to match tastes usually associated with food high in calories with low-fat alternatives, and so carried on eating to try to get their calorie count up when in fact it had already reached a healthy level."

Have a great day all!
I'm happy to say I've switched back to regular chips and am enjoying the greasy feelings on my fingers again! haha!
Peace and Love,
Debs

I"m with you, Deb! Small amounts of the really good stuff go a long way. And the so-so stuff -- well your theory (about keeping on trying because it's just about to finally taste good) seems spot on, to me.