The Reading / Listening - Level 2

New research says there is a simple, easy way to help people who over-eat. It is an alternative to fancy diets. Researchers say that using smaller plates, knives, forks, glasses, etc. could reduce the amount of food we eat. Many of us use the size of the plate as a guide to how much we can eat. If we use a large plate, we fill the plate with food. This means we eat too much. Cambridge University in the U.K. says smaller plates could reduce the amount of food we eat. British people could cut their calories by up to 16 per cent, while Americans could see a reduction of up to 29 per cent.

The researchers looked at data from 6,711 people. Dr Gareth Hollands said many people think it is, "obvious that the larger the portion size, the more people eat," but said that there was little research on this. He added that it was wrong to think that people who ate too much had little self-control. He said: "Helping people to avoid 'over-serving' themselves or others with larger portions of food or drink by reducing their sizeā€¦in shops, restaurants and in the home, is likely to be a good way of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating."

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    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breakingnews/offbeat/smaller-tableware-could-help-reduce-overeating-and-obesity-31525875.html
  • http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-stop-overeating-starting-plates-cut-over-500-calories-day-using-smaller-tableware-352484
  • http://www.webmd.boots.com/diet/news/20150914/smaller-plates-tackle-obesity


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

a simple, easy way to help people

a.

plate with food

2.

an alternative

b.

of food we eat

3.

reduce the amount

c.

who over-eat

4.

use the size of the

d.

their calories

5.

we fill the

e.

of up to 29 per cent

6.

This means we

f.

to fancy diets

7.

people could cut

g.

eat too much

8.

Americans could see a reduction

h.

plate as a guide



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The researchers looked at data

a.

the more people eat

2.

people think it

b.

control

3.

the larger the portion size,

c.

of food

4.

there was little

d.

themselves

5.

self-

e.

from 6,711 people

6.

Helping people to avoid 'over-serving'

f.

of overeating

7.

larger portions

g.

is obvious

8.

reduce their risk

h.

research on this

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

New research says (1) ___________________, easy way to help people who over-eat. It is an alternative (2) __________________. Researchers say that using smaller plates, knives, forks, glasses, etc. could (3) ___________________ of food we eat. Many of us use the size of the plate (4) ___________________ much we can eat. If we use a large plate, we fill the plate with food. This means we eat too much. Cambridge University in the U.K. says smaller plates could reduce (5) ___________________ food we eat. British people could cut their calories by up to 16 per cent, while Americans could (6) ___________________ up to 29 per cent.

The researchers (7) ___________________ from 6,711 people. Dr Gareth Hollands said many people think it is, "obvious that the larger (8) ___________________, the more people eat," but said that there was little (9) ___________________. He added that it was (10) ___________________ people who ate too much had little self-control. He said: "Helping people to avoid 'over-serving' themselves (11) ___________________ larger portions of food or drink by reducing their size…in shops, restaurants and in the home, is likely (12) ___________________ of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating."

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Newresearchsaysthereisasimple,easywaytohelppeoplewhoover-
eat.Itisanalternativetofancydiets.Researcherssaythatusingsmaller
plates,knives,forks,glasses,etc.couldreducetheamountoffoodweeat
.Manyofususethesizeoftheplateasaguidetohowmuchwecaneat.Ifwe
usealargeplate,wefilltheplatewithfood.Thismeansweeattoomuch.C
ambridgeUniversityintheU.K.sayssmallerplatescouldreducetheamo
untoffoodweeat.Britishpeoplecouldcuttheircaloriesbyupto16percen
t,whileAmericanscouldseeareductionofupto29percent.Theresearch
erslookedatdatafrom6,711people.DrGarethHollandssaidmanypeop
lethinkitis,"obviousthatthelargertheportionsize,themorepeopleeat,
"butsaidthattherewaslittleresearchonthis.Headdedthatitwaswrongt
othinkthatpeoplewhoatetoomuchhadlittleself-control.Hesaid:"Hel
pingpeopletoavoid'over-serving'themselvesorotherswithlargerpo
rtionsoffoodordrinkbyreducingtheirsize…inshops,restaurantsandint
hehome,islikelytobeagoodwayofhelpinglotsofpeopletoreducetheirri
skofovereating."

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about obesity for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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