WASHINGTON — There are all kinds of strategies for losing weight, and a new study suggests one trick is to just keep food out of sight.
Researchers at Ohio State University kept tabs on the eating patterns of 100 adults. Half of the participants were obese, with an average body mass index of 36.80. The rest were in the normal weight range.
The researchers conducted interviews and visited their homes in an effort to determine environmental factors that might contribute to obesity,
The authors of the study say the amount of food in the homes of the obese and non-obese was about the same. The difference was where the food was found — around the house in the homes of obese study participants and put away in the homes of those of normal weight.
They found that the obese participants were far more likely to have food visible in various rooms of their homes outside the kitchen — things such as a candy dish on a coffee table, or a jar of cookies near a computer.
Obese participants in the study also reported significantly lower self-esteem related to their weight, and more symptoms of depression.
The findings were published in the International Journal of Obesity.
