My Family Doctor
A family practitioner for over 25 years, Dr. Hubbard knows the medical world inside and out. Frustrated by managed care and the lack of time doctors were able to spend educating patients, he launched James Hubbard's My Family Doctor: The Magazine That Makes Housecalls, a national magazine written by health care practitioners that is his answer to hurried doctor visits, conflicting medical studies, and complicated treatment options.
How to Tell When You're Full (and Stop Eating)
There are some tricks to cue your body to the feeling of satiety
Question: What's a healthy amount to eat at a time, and why do some people get full quicker than others?
Answer: Before you snarf down that entire mound of pasta—let alone the never-ending seafood platter—consider: Unlike what the food-service industry has taught us, the total volume of a meal should be about the amount you can comfortably hold in two cupped hands. What's the result of those nonetheless heaped plates? Sixty-six percent of us are overweight or obese. We need to learn when to say when. We need to feel when we're satiated. What is satiety (suh-TIE-uh-tee)? Here's the definition:
Satiety: The state of being satiated or glutted; fullness of gratification, either of the appetite or of any sensual desire; fullness beyond desire; an excess of gratification which excites wearisomeness or loathing; repletion; satiation. —Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
A filled-up stomach triggers the release of brain chemicals, making your hunger disappear. Normally, you should feel satiety about 10 minutes after you're full—not a big help if you wolfed down that entire pizza in record speed. If you just ignore the sensation and keep eating, you will become uncomfortably stuffed.
Fortunately, there are some tricks to cue your body to the feeling of satiety. For example, distractions play a role: Are you eating in front of your TV or computer, or while reading this article? You may have missed your cue.
In addition, in 2003, a small University of Florida study found that if you're obese, your feeling of satiety may be delayed by four to nine minutes—and you can do some serious damage to your calorie counts in that extra time.
So just take the advice of many diet books. Slow down. Focus on savoring the flavors and textures of your food. Listen for your satiety.
By Patricia L. Raymond, MD
Featured Contributor
My Family Doctor Blog
[Originally posted July 2010, James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor Web site. Patricia L. Raymond, MD, FACP, FACG, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with Simply Screening in Chesapeake, Virginia; author of Colonoscopy: It'll Crack U Up!; and assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School.]
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