Fat pants? Skinny pants? The decision matters to those of us who want to get rid of abdominal fat. As we noted last week, we seldom stop eating simply because we're full. If not that, what? I turn again to Brian Wansink's Mindless Eating, for insight.

 
Weight gain is not just associated with college freshmen, pregnant women, or those of us approaching the golden years. A prison study showed that inmates are also inclined to pick up pounds (20-25 per six-month stay). Neither the the tasty food nor a sedentary lifestyle is to blame; it is a function of fashion. The standard-issue orange jumpsuit fits loosely; its waistband never gets tight. The occupant can overeat without feeling the effect. Fitted clothing tells us when we've had enough.

The amount we eat also depends on visual cues. In one study, subjects were offered buffalo wings while watching sports. For one group, bones from the last serving were removed when a new platter arrived. The second group surrounded a growing mound of inedible chicken parts. The second group consumed 28 percent less food than those with a tidier table. The bones told them how much they were eating.

I recently played with these two findings on my own. One day, I made a point of keeping all the plates, cups, and utensils I used in full view. I used a new container for each serving, and left it on the counter when I was done. Wrappers and inedible parts remained as well. Nothing went into the dishwasher or the trash until the end of the day, when I took a picture of the pile.

The following week, I decided to wear my "skinny pants," which fit in the morning and snug up as the day progresses. I resisted the temptation to wear baggies around the house or to choose the next larger size for social eating.

Both experiments were revealing. Leaving evidence in view definitely increased my awareness of cumulative consumption. Even more dramatically, fitted clothing affected my behavior in the moment. I was acutely aware of how the clothing felt, and it slowed my eating--enabling me to think first and make a wiser choice.

An orange jumpsuit symbolizes imprisonment in our society. Perhaps that symbol has multiple layers of meaning. The lack of immediate feedback while we eat imprisons us in mindlessness, and traps us in a body that can compromise our health and happiness over the long run.