A new survey conducted by Nutrisystem looked into the eating habits of 2,000 people and the biggest takeaway is we are phone obsessed.
Their findings found that 29 percent of people say their phone is the companion to every meal they have.
More than that, over half of the people studied say their phone is at most of their meals and only about 17 percent admit to never having their phone out during meals.
Of course the millennials got hit the hardest here...35 percent of 18-25 year olds say they are the ones that can't be without their phone and usage at every meal starts to go down the older you get.
The NY Post also reports from the study that bigger screens are also a major issue during meals:
And it’s not just phones that take our focus away from the food we’re eating — 72 percent often watch TV while eating.
Incredibly, when asked what makes eating a meal more enjoyable, Americans were more likely to say watching TV than they were to say conversations with friends and family.
Corporate Dietitian at Nutrisystem, Courtney McCormick says research like this is vital to understanding people's health.
“Early research has shown that taking a mindful approach to eating may help you lose weight and consume fewer calories and fat.
What we’re eating, how much and how often — those are the things we think about when we’re trying to lose weight. The part we probably focus less on, however, is how we eat. And that is just as important. And it starts with putting down the phone and turning off the TV.”
Besides the screens in our face, McCormick also says portion control is a major factor in what she refers to as mindful eating.
“Americans portions have become so big. And because people are used to eating out, they consider portions at restaurants to be the correct size, when they’re often four times as large. Learning portion control is key to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.”