Food psychologist Brian Wansink’s book Mindless Eating is a must-read for anyone interested in eating better. In the book, he explains that people overeat due to a variety of factors ranging from family and friends, plate sizes, shapes and smells, and even unnusual ones such as lights, distractions, and candles. And you thought you were just hungry!

His research has proven especially helpful to food companies and restaurants. Case in point – adding descriptive names to menus increase sales by up to 23% and helps convince people the food was more delicious than normal. Example: Succulent Italian Seafood Filet. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Mindless Eating is not a dieting book. It is chockful of information that answers the question why we eat the way we do. There are also plenty of helpful tips to reshape your environment to make it work for you in eating better rather than hindering you.

Wansink also cites watching television as having an effect on eating more. Their study shows that people who watch television for atleast an hour eat up to 28% more than people who only watch for half an hour. You eat more and exercise more. It doesn’t take a scientist to tell you that that’s a recipe for disaster.

The book is a revelation in that it shows you that by just making a few small changes, you can greatly affect your dietary habits. You can take control of the way you eat and weigh by understanding the way our mind works.