Is Your Kitchen Décor Making You Fat?

While you can probably attach some blame for extra pounds on frequent trips to the kitchen cabinets or refrigerator, there may be another culprit in our favorite room. As the heart of many homes, the kitchen is the backdrop for family gatherings, casual meals, and even homework and games.  The décor and design, though, may be aiding the enemy in the battle of the bulge. How?  And, more importantly, how can you add decorative touches that help enhance the beauty of your home and help keep excess pounds off?

In an article in the UK’s Daily Mail, writer Lydia Slater draws a parallel between expanding bust, hip, and waist measurements and that of our kitchens.  Since about 1920, as we’ve added a few inches to our figures, the kitchen has almost doubled in size.  In many homes, it is the biggest room in the house.  And according to research, people spend more of their waking hours in the kitchen than anywhere else.  We eat there, sure, but we also socialize, relax, work, do our bills, open our mail, and watch TV.

As we spend more time in these big rooms, it is almost inevitable that we’ll eat more.  But sometimes, our décor and accessorizing choices contribute to the problem.  Did you ever notice that restaurants, particularly fast food chains, like McDonald’s, have a color scheme consisting of reds, oranges, and yellows?  You know why?  Because these colors make you hungry.  Try finding a blue restaurant. Not as common – because blue doesn’t tend to evoke that feeling.  Other factors, such as lighting, glassware, and china can also induce a bad case of the munchies, according to the new research published in the Annual Reviews of Nutrition.  Here are some décor don’ts:

• Large, restaurant-style plates.  By using a smaller plate, you can shave off 200 calories a day without even noticing.  Try using salad plates for entrees – and entrée plates for salads.
• Super-sized glasses.  A cup of soda may be fine once in a while – but not the giant glass that you need two hands to hold and which can double as a vase.
• Large fridges.  A smaller fridge obviously holds less, but also helps keep food fresher by encouraging you to look at what you have and buy smaller amounts of food.
• Large containers.  Have a big cookie jar?  You will eat more cookies. It’s that simple.
• Food displays.  Decorative jars of jams, cookies, biscuits, and other treats tempt us.  Out of sight, out of mind.
• Bright lighting makes you eat fast.  Dim lighting makes you binge. Nutritionists suggest using brighter lighting while cooking, and then dimming them while you eat.
• Warm colors.  Again, think McDonald’s.  Opt for cooler colors, like silver or blue shades.
• TVs.  Turn it off while you eat.  Watching TV tends to lead to mindless consumption, and overconsumption!

Try a leaner approach to your kitchen décor, and you may enjoy a leaner you.  A simple table, chairs, slim bar or counter stools, functional appliances, out-of-sight food, and a de-cluttered atmosphere will not only help you enjoy your kitchen more, but keep the pounds off.