Diet Danger Zones Matching Game

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Diet Danger Zones, also known as Mindless Eating Challenges, are the traps we fall into that cause negative mindless eating behavior, like overeating. While we may run into some or all of them at various times, we typically encounter one or two on a regular basis.


Drag and drop the Mindless Eating Scenario to its appropriate Diet Danger Zone icon.




Diet Danger Zone



  • Snack
    Grazer
  • Dashboard
    Diner
  • Desktop
    Diner
  • Meal
    Stuffer
  • Party
    Binger
  • Restaurant
    Indulger

Mindless Eating Scenario



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Challenges Glossary

Mindless Eating Challenges are the "Diet Danger Zones" Dr. Wansink has found through his research.  They are the activities and places that cause us to eat more or to eat unhealthy food or both, often without our realizing it.  Many people have a couple or a few Challenges that present a problem on a regular basis.  Here are summary descriptions of the Mindless Eating Challenges we help you conquer with the Mindless Method program.
Meal-Stuffer

Meal Stuffers eat to excess during mealtimes.  They take large portions, clean everything off their plates, and often take seconds (or thirds). They usually eat quickly, before their systems have a chance to notice that they've eaten, and they're often uncomfortably full after they finish a meal.  Even so, they usually can find room for dessert.  Meal stuffers consider themselves to have "healthy appetites," but really they're just used to eating too much too fast.

Snack-Grazer

Snack-Grazers take in food all day, far more than they realize.  Three or more daily snacks between meals and after dinner are common.  Snack Grazers seldom pass up a candy dish, or a donut left on the breakroom table.  They love the 4 C's (chips, cookies, ice cream, and candy), but convenience is often more important than taste, and they'll reach for whatever food happens to be available.  Snacking for them can be a nervous habit, something that gives an excuse to get up and walk around, or something to do with hands while watching TV or reading.  Sometimes the snacking is in response to hunger, but more often it's just habit.

Party-Binger

Parties, buffets, receptions, tailgates, mixers, happy hours -- these are high distraction environments where unlimited food is the backdrop for business or fun, and it's easy to lose track of how much you've eaten or drunk.  Party-Bingers tend to eat more than their share at such events, sometimes munching and drinking the whole time.  They are often professionals who wine and dine clients, people who meet business colleagues and friends regularly after work, and the stay-out-late, frequent partying crowd.

Restaurant Indulger

Restaurant Indulgers eat out often, and eat out large.  Restaurant portions have gotten larger, and so have people who eat at them often.  The Restaurant Indulger often eat lunch out with coworkers, and also eats dinner out at least three days a week.  Restaurants are often chosen for their big portions or endless buffet service, and not for the healthiness or quality of the food.  Often they are on an expense account, and if not, they choose family-style restaurants and diners that serve large helpings of "comfort foods" inexpensively. Restaurant Indulgers include business "road warriors," affluent gourmets, or double-income households who don't want to take the time to shop and cook and clean.

Desktop Diner

Desktop Diners are multitaskers who like to speed-eat while working at their desks. Sometimes the eat-while-work routine is to save time, but more often it is to save the hassle of getting a real lunch.  Desktop Diners usually aren't any busier than everyone else, they more likely under-motivated to select and prepare healthy food.  If the right person were to stop by and ask a Desktop Diner to lunch they'd probably go, but more often, just grab a snack out of the vending machine or a donut from the break room.

Dashboard Diner

Dashboard Diners dine-and-drive while getting from point A to point B.  They eat in their cars partly to save time, but more often, to save the hassle of getting a real meal.  When on the prowl they don't look for a healthy meal, they look for a convenient drive-through, and they usually want fries with that.  Their cars often store napkins and condiments for the next meal, and can be a mess of fast-food bags and other trash.