Somebody may have posted this already but I though it was interesting.

Some of us (well me anyway) use the old trick of having a smaller plate to encourage you to eat less. This, I guess, is the next step.

Canadian researchers put people with type 2 diabetes on a calorie-controlled diet for six months.

They found 17% of those who used a calibrated diet plate lost more than 5% of their body weight, compared with just 4.5% who did not.

The study appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

In the majority of cases type 2 diabetes is linked to carrying excess weight - 80% of people are overweight at diagnosis, and doctors recognise that weight loss can greatly improve the condition.



The researchers tested the effect of using a calibrated dinner plate and breakfast bowl that helps people to eat healthy sized portions.

On average those who used the diet plates lost 1.75% of their body weight, compared with just 0.05% in the group who had to rely on will power alone.

More info here.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6238740.stm