Eating with a fork instead of a spoon can help you lose weight, new research suggests.

最新研究显示，吃饭时用叉子不用勺，有助减肥。

A study by the University of Florida found that using a fork and eating from smaller, less fancy, and even paper plates will help prevent overeating.

美国佛罗里达大学的一项研究表明，吃饭时用叉子，或者用小一点的、不那么花哨的盘子，甚至用纸盘子，都能防止吃得过多。

It also claims that putting mirrors in your dining room will help weight loss because they actually make junk food taste worse.

研究还表明，在餐厅放置镜子也有助于减肥，因为镜子能使垃圾食品的口感下降。

The researchers asked 185 undergraduates to choose chocolate cake or a fruit salad and evaluate the taste.

研究人员让185位大学生在巧克力蛋糕和水果沙拉中选择一种食用，并对它们的口感做出评价。

Those who ate them in a room with a mirror scored the taste of the junk food lower than those in a room without one, but it had no effect on the fruit salad.

在测试垃圾食品的口感时，有镜组比无镜组的食用口感差，而水果沙拉的口感未受到镜子的影响。

Lead scientist, Dr Ata Jami of the University of Central Florida, said: ‘A glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance.

中央佛罗里达大学的阿塔·杰米博士是研究小组的带头人。他说：“镜子告诉人们的可不止是体态外貌。”

‘It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behaviors in a same way that they judge others.’

“镜子使人们可以从一个置身事外的角度观察自己、评价自己，就像他们观察别人、评价别人时那样。”

The mirrors were found to push the subjects to compare and match their own behaviours with accepted social standards.

该研究发现，镜子能促使受试者用普遍的社会标准来衡量自己，并用它规范自己的行为。

The study's authors believe it proves that people don't want to look in the mirror when they feel that they are now adhering to those social standards.

研究者认为，这足以证明：当人们觉得自己的行为已经符合社会标准的时候，他们就不会想去看镜子了。

When they do look in the mirror, feelings of discomfort and failure are enhanced.

而当他们吃着垃圾食品，想要看镜中的自己时，不适感和挫败感就增强了。

Therefore, the presence of the mirror induces a discomfort and lowers the perceived taste of unhealthy food.

这时候，镜子的存在引发了人的不适，降低了垃圾食品的口感。

But, this is only the case if the person selects the food they are eating because they are responsible for that choice.

但是，只有当人们自主选择食物时，这个规律才会奏效，因为他们要为自己的选择负责。

The study suggests that mirrors be placed in dining rooms and other eating spaces so people will start eating more healthily

因此该研究建议在餐厅等用餐地点放置镜子，促使人们吃得健康些。

The study was published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

《消费者研究杂志》刊登了这项研究结果。

Vocabulary

fancy：装饰性的；花哨的；别致的

adhere to：坚持

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