Everyone knows the best and most effective way to lose weight is to exercise regularly and eat a healthy, balanced diet. However, if the gym is your worst nightmare and you cannot resist a sweet treat, scientists in Japan may hold the key to successful weight loss. Recent research has discovered that wearing a pair blue tinted glasses lenses may assist dieting and healthy eating.
It is believed that blue food is the least appetizing of all food colours, meaning that when peering through your frames at a plate of blue chips, you are more likely to turn it away. This is thought to be due to the fact that, other than blueberries, there are almost no natural blue foods in existence. This means that when foods are coloured blue, they appear particularly artificial and unappetizing. Similarly, neuroscientist Michele Noonan suggests that serving food on a blue plate may reduce appetite, as it adds to the unnatural appearance of the food.
Blue is also believed to be stimulating and soothing, thus calming the brain’s appetite centre, whilst red is thought to stimulate it. This partly explains popular fast-food chains red and yellow decor choices (e.g. McDonalds and Burger King).
Johnny Depp has famously been spotted wearing blue tinted glasses, reportedly to slim down for film roles, but this has not been confirmed by the actor.
In addition, the Japanese inventors have created blue glasses which deliberately magnify the food on our plates to trick the mind into feeling full after a meal. It also encourages the wearer to reduce their intake of food. In an experiment of volunteers in Tokyo, participants consumed 10% less when the biscuits they were offered appeared 50% larger.
But is this the solution we’ve all been waiting for, or does it simply remind us that eating less is the only way to lose weight? Undoubtedly, regular exercise and a healthy diet are the most guaranteed ways to achieve weight loss but, whilst blue glasses may appear to be an unnecessary gimmick, if worn in addition to a healthy lifestyle, they may help aid your diet plans.
Many opticians now offer a free tinting service to adapt your lenses to suit your requirements. So if you think you’ve exhausted all weight-loss possibilities, why not try requesting a subtle blue tint to your lenses and you may soon reap the benefits…
Victoria is a writer for prescription glasses retailer, Direct Sight
