Researchers at Ohio State University have uncovered how we store food at home can affect our behavior.
Their study involved observing the home environment, food-buying patterns, eating habits, and psychological well-being of 50 obese (average body mass index of 36.8) and 50 non-obese individuals, between the ages of 20 to 78. Researchers first conducted interviews and asked participants to fill out a questionnaire, then followed up with them two weeks later.
They found that although the amount of food obese and non-obese participants kept at home was similar, obese individuals stored food in many locations outside the kitchen. They tended to have food visible in their favorite settings at home.
“That speaks to the environment being arranged in a way that may make it harder to avoid eating food. That has not been clearly documented before,” said lead study author Charles Emery in a press release.
And though both groups had similar amounts of available space in their cabinets and fridges, the obese participants tended to own more refrigerators and freezers. They had more inventory of foods that are readily available to eat and calorie-dense.
