My mother drilled into us that we were not allowed leave the table unless we'd finished everything on our plates. That was good advice when portions were smaller and everyone was careful about wasting food. But clearing your piled-up plate nowadays can sometimes mean consuming a shocking amount of fat and calories. So I'm not surprised that a new diet survey finds four in five adults carry on eating even when they're full - and blame their parents for instilling into them that they must eat it all.

Waste not want not?

Ever since I read about the dining habits of the Okinawans - Japanese islanders who have the world's longest life expectancy - I try to follow their example. They always stop eating just before they start to feel full and eat around 25% fewer calories as a result.

It's a big cultural difference - while we feel ashamed or rude not to eat every last scrap, they're proud to leave some food at every meal. But it is a habit we can easily adopt, simply by thinking more about what we're eating and knowing when to stop. It's all about listening to our bodies...

Break the binge cycle

Here are some of the most ingrained food behaviours that help make us the fattest nation in Europe - and how to break them...

Splitting a bottle of wine with your partner at dinner every night

• Why it makes you fat
  Once the bottle opens, how often do you honestly stop after just one glass? While wine contains no fat, it is laden with calories. If you drink a large glass before dinner, another with dinner and a one after, you've added more than 400 calories to your meal.
  
• Fix it
  Limit the wine to every other night and you immediately halve your weekly booze calorie intake. On days when you do have wine with your dinner, don't leave the bottle on the table. Pour out a glass each and leave the bottle in the kitchen.

Taking advantage of buy-one-get-one-free deals at the supermarket

• Why it makes you fat
  By buying twice as much as you intended, you're going to end up eating twice as much as you'd planned. But is it really worth it? It's a false economy if it ends up on your hips.
  
• Fix it
  Make a healthy shopping list before you head to the supermarket - and stick to it. Remember, you may feel good saving money on two-for-one cream cakes, but will you feel so good about yourself once you've scoffed them both?

Eating the same size portion as your husband

• Why it makes you fat
  As we serve up meals, we tend to dole out equal-size portions to be 'fair'. Men need more calories than women per day - 2500 compared with 2000 - so if you're eating as much as him, those extra calories will catch up with you eventually.
  
• Fix it
  Your serving should be about one fifth less than your partner's, so use a smaller plate for yourself, or serve yourself less. As a guide, have a meat or fish portion the size of a pack of cards, and a carbohydrate serving (rice or pasta) the size of your fist, and fill the rest of your plate with veg.

'It's not dinner unless I've had a dessert'

• Why it makes you fat
  We often learn this as kids, as even school dinners include dessert. But most puddings are full of sugar and fats and can double your calorie intake for the whole meal!
  
• Fix it
  Pause after your main course to give yourself time to decide whether you really want a dessert or if you are just reaching for one out of habit. If you do fancy something sweet, have fruit or a couple of squares of dark chocolate.

Eating in front of the TV or computer

• Why it makes you fat
  We spend so much of our time in front of screens that we get into the habit of eating mindlessly in front of them too. Research shows that people who watch around two hours of TV each day are much more likely to be overweight and eat more food than those who watch only half an hour of TV per day.
  
• Fix it
  From now on, make the desk and sofa food-free zones so you always eat sitting at a table. This allows your brain to concentrate on what you're eating, aids your digestion and makes meal times much more fun and sociable.

Gobbling food too quickly

• Why it makes you fat
  Your stomach is a slow communicator - it takes 30 minutes to tell your brain that you've eaten. So, when you eat quickly, it's easy to consume loads more calories than you need before your brain registers that you've eaten anything.
  
• Fix it
  Eating slowly will help you realise when you've had enough. Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, savour the texture and flavour of your food and sip water throughout the meal to help you pace yourself.

Having the local takeaway on speed dial

• Why it makes you fat
  One of the main reasons there's more obesity now is that we are too stressed and busy to make healthy dinners at home, often opting to get takeouts. But fast foods have a high fat content, not much fibre and massive portion sizes, which soon piles on the pounds.
  
• Fix it
  Only allow yourself one lazy no-cooking night a week. If you make takeaways a Friday evening family treat, they'll become something you all look forward to rather than something you rely on every day. And always make extra when you do cook, so that you can freeze portions and have your own healthy ready meals to hand.

Source: Daily Mirror

Picture credit: Daily Mirror