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Have you been overeating without realising it? Here's why the 80% full rule is good for you

LaksaNews

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Growing up, many of us were taught this lesson: Finish up your rice because there are children starving elsewhere in the world.

As virtuous as it is not to waste food, it might have bred a whole generation or two of guilt-ridden people like myself. I prickle with anxiety every time I see unfinished rice on a plate or leftovers destined for the bin. So, I assuage my guilt by stuffing the remaining food down my throat, even though I’m already bursting.

“We grew up with the value of not wasting food, partly due to cultural teachings and the historical context of food scarcity from earlier generations,” said Dr Edward Chong, a senior gastrointestinal surgeon with PanAsia Surgery.

And many of us end up eating too much. “Research shows that 50 per cent to 75 per cent of people report occasional overeating, especially on weekends or while dining out,” said Dr Chong.

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(Photo: iStock/Edwin Tan)

During festive periods such as Chinese New Year, overeating has even more far-reaching effects. “Once we become accustomed to eating certain portions of food and feeling good about it, it may become hard to reset our habits after the festivities,” said Dr Annabelle Chow, the principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology.

Furthermore, “this overeating disrupts normal hunger and fullness cues, creating a cycle where the appetite increases and the urge to eat more persists”, she warned.

“After the celebrations, stressors like returning to work or tackling New Year’s resolutions can also perpetuate this behaviour.”

WHY CAN’T WE STOP OVEREATING?​


“Overeating is eating past the point of fullness,” said dietitian Jaclyn Reutens from Aptima Nutrition. “It also means that even when you are not hungry, you continue to eat.”

Interestingly, not everyone is conscious of their own overeating habits. “Some are aware that they are eating too much. Surprisingly, a good number did not realise they were,” said Reutens.

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(Photo: iStock/Tero Vesalainen)

One of the reasons for overeating could be physiological. “It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register satiety, the feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating,” said Dr Chong.

“This delay occurs because that’s how long it takes for the digestive system and hormones (ghrelin, which determines how hungry you are; and leptin, which makes you feel full) to send signals to your brain,” he said. “Eating quickly prevents this feedback loop, often leading to overeating before you feel satisfied.”

And if you also enjoy watching videos on your handphone while eating, you could be ignoring your body’s signals of fullness, added Dr Chong.

Chinese New Year brings with it another hurdle. Dr Chow said that the variety of festive foods can contribute to the “buffet effect”. “People feel the urge to try everything, even if in smaller portions, resulting in us often eating more than we need,” she said.

“Additionally, declining food in some cultures can feel impolite or ungrateful. We’re also reminded to appreciate food and not waste it, creating feelings of guilt or obligation to finish everything on our plate, even when we’re already full,” said Dr Chow.

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(Photo: iStock/gremlin)

Even at other times of the year, boredom and stress can lead to mindless eating and snacking, said Reutens, as can habitually snacking or taking a second serving of food without thought. “You might also confuse emotional hunger with physical hunger.”

Living in a food haven such as Singapore is another reason we can’t stop overeating, said Reutens. “Think of the croissant craze, or the fast-food chains and bubble tea shops that constantly come up with new flavours.

“More often than not, these foods contain a significant amount of sugar, salt and fat that makes the food addictive,” she said.

“Highly processed items like nuggets, chips, chocolates and ice cream encourage eating for pleasure by stimulating dopamine release, making it hard to stop eating them.”

IS EATING UNTIL 80% FULL RIGHT?​


This notion comes from hara hachi bu (eating until 80 per cent full), shared Dr Chong. "It is a practice linked to longevity in Okinawa, a region known for its high life expectancy," he said.

And Japan is not alone in getting it right. There are also other similar mindful eating principles in other cultures, he said, which emphasise moderation and self-awareness.

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(Photo: iStock/A-Basler)

According to Reutens, the 80 per cent full rule is a good guide to prevent you from eating “till you are stuffed, bloated and suffer from indigestion”. “It serves as a reminder to be more observant about your satiety level," she said.

As for the exact percentage, there's no need to be militant about it. “Seventy per cent full is also a safe guide,” said Reutens. “Fifty per cent full would be too low and 90 per cent full is too close to crossing the line to 100 per cent full.”

She added that the 80 per cent full rule usually applies to main meals such as breakfast, lunch and dinner. “It is not often applied to snacking between meals because not everyone needs to eat between meals. Having said that, everyone’s diet is highly individualised, so see what works for you.”

WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT?​


And yes, the 80 per cent full guide includes dessert. But why do you always feel like you have room for sweet treats after a meal – even though you're already bursting at the seams?

"Part of the reason why people stop eating a meal is that they're tired of the food," said Professor Leonard Epstein, the chief of Division of Behavioral Medicine at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo in New York.

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(Photo: iStock/Farknot Architect)

The phenomenon is known as sensory-specific satiety. "But if you introduce a new flavour, smell or even texture into the mix, it's easy to overcome that feeling of 'Oh, I'm full'," he said on Live Science.

Other experts believe that evolution instilled in us this desire for variety, so that we'll get our essential nutrients from different food groups. "In the long run, we need a good mix of nutrients," said Professor Barbara Rolls, the director of Penn State's Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior, in the same article.

"Now, where it backfires on us is with the big variety of large portions of calorie-dense foods available to us. The variety does stimulate overconsumption, and so it's potentially contributing to obesity," she said.

HOW DOES 80% FULL FEEL LIKE?​


According to Dr Chong, your stomach should feel comfortably satisfied but not uncomfortably stretched, tight or bloated.

“You are not at the point where you need to loosen your belt, or feel sick, heavy or distended," he said. "You are aware that you could eat more if you wanted but you don’t feel a strong desire or need to. You recognise that eating beyond this point will lead to discomfort."

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(Photo: iStock/weerachonoat)

To determine whether you’ve reached this point or not, Reutens advised to take about 20 minutes to eat.

“After you have finished the entire plate, assess if you need more. You should not feel bloated or too hungry. If you are still unsure, wait another 10 to 15 minutes to reassess,” she said.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?​


Besides the obvious ones such as avoiding bloating, acid reflux, indigestion and weight gain, there are other benefits as well.

Saving some space in your stomach does more than mitigate potential stomach discomfort after a meal. “Eating to 80 per cent full leaves room for proper and efficient digestion. Your stomach has more space to break down food effectively,” said Dr Chong.

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(Photo: iStock/AscentXmedia)

Remember the hormones ghrelin and leptin you read earlier? Eating moderate portions helps to regulate them, and improve your ability to recognise hunger and fullness cues, he added.

If you’re all too familiar with food coma, “stopping at 80 per cent keeps you feeling energised”, he said. “Eating too much can lead to lethargy and a drop in energy levels.”

DOES EATING TILL 80% FULL INCLUDE DRINKS?​


Yes, said Dr Chong. To help you better manage satiety, Reutens recommended steering clear of beverages with added sugar (such as soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices and energy drinks) as “they interrupt brain signals and hormones such as insulin that indirectly impact the hunger hormones”.

You’ll also want to avoid alcohol as it impairs your ability to recognise fullness cues, delays satiety signals and increases appetite, said Dr Chong.

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(Photo: iStock/PeopleImages)

What you could drink and not mess up your hunger signals are clear soups, unsweetened herbal teas or diluted lemon water, suggested Dr Chong. “Take small sips and avoid gulping to prevent diluting your digestive enzymes and slowing digestion.”

Or simply drink water, said Reutens. “If you are concerned that water consumption would interfere with the 80 per cent fullness, drink it 20 minutes after finishing your meal as opposed to the start of the meal.”

WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN APPETITE AFTER EXERCISE?​


Exercise can go either way on appetite: Suppress or stimulate it, said Reutens. “If exercise suppresses your appetite, you should still fill your plate with sensible amounts of each food group. Your hunger will eventually catch up with you.”

The same advice applies for those who practise intermittent fasting, although Reutens noted that these individuals “have a tendency to overeat as they are usually ravenous by the first meal”.

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(Photo: iStock/sinceLF)

To help you along, eat slowly, said Dr Chong. “Pause during your meal and ask yourself how hungry you still feel.”

His hack: On a scale of zero to 10 (zero being starving and 10 being overfull), aim to stop eating at 6 to 7 when you’re comfortably full but not stuffed.

6 TIPS TO FEEL SATISFIED AFTER EATING​


If you've tried eating till 80 per cent but still feel hungry, here are some tips from Dr Chong to help you feel full and put down your spoon:

  1. Eat protein: Protein in foods such as lean meat, eggs, legumes and tofu increases levels of satiety hormones like GLP-1 and PYY.
  2. Get fibre: High-fibre foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legume, slow digestion and increase fullness by adding bulk to meals.
  3. Avoid foods high in refined sugars and carbs: Pastries, white bread and regular pasta lead to quick spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, leaving you hungry again soon after eating. Choose whole grains, legumes and vegetables for a slower, steadier release of energy and better satiety.
  4. Avoid creamy drinks: The milky bubble tea you’ve been eyeing all morning? Its creamy texture, including that of milkshakes, smoothies, and milky coffee or tea, doesn’t make you feel full for long.
  5. Hydrate throughout the day: Thirst is often mistaken for hunger and makes you feel hungrier than you actually are. So, drink plenty of water throughout the day and try drinking a glass of water before each meal.
  6. Manage stress: Stress overrides natural satiety signals as well as increases the release of cortisol, which triggers cravings for high-calorie, comfort foods. Instead of using food as a stress-coping mechanism, try relaxation techniques such as meditation, exercise or deep breathing.

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