Eating in front of a mirror could help stop consumption of unhealthy foods

People could fight obesity in their homes by simply facing a mirror while eating, a new study suggests. Placing a mirror in a room could make people perceive unhealthy foods as less appealing, leading to discomfort and helping them make healthier food choices.

People commonly eat an unhealthy snack because they think it is tastier, which could contribute to obesity. However, researchers said the new approach could help reduce consumption of unhealthy food by reducing its perceived taste.

The study, which aims to find ways to encourage healthy eating practices and fight obesity, showed that the presence of a mirror in the dining room lowers the perceived tastiness of unhealthy food. The findings come from taste tests conducted on 185 undergraduate students. Researchers asked the participants to choose between a chocolate cake and a fruit salad and to rate the food’s tastiness.

Some students ate the food in a room with a mirror, while others were in a mirrorless room. Results show that those who selected the chocolate cake perceived it less tasty in the room with a mirror, while the presence of the mirror had no effect on those who ate fruit salad.

“A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance,” said lead researcher Ata Jami from the University of Central Florida. “It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviours in the same way that they judge others.”

According to the study, people were pushed by the mirrors to compare and match their behaviours with social standards of correctness. The presence of the mirror enhanced the discomfort of the failure to follow standards, which, in the study is eating healthy, and it particularly led the participants to reduce consumption of unhealthy food.

In addition, the fact that the individual selected the food makes him or her feel responsible for his or her own choice. However, researchers noted that the presence of the mirror did not induce any discomfort to those who ate healthy food.

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