Doctors have a new weapon in the battle to beat obesity – a talking plate that tells people not to bolt their food.
The Mandometer monitors the amount of food leaving the plate and tells users who gobble: “Please eat more slowly.”
Now the £1,500 Swedish device is to be used in an NHS initiative to help hundreds of obese families lose weight.
It comes in two parts – a scale placed under the plate and a small computer screen showing a graphic of the food that gradually disappears as the user eats.
A red line on the screen shows the user’s speed of eating, while a blue line shows a healthy rate.
If the user guzzles, the red line angles away from the blue one, warning them to ease off.
If the lines deviate too much, the computer voice tells them to slow down.