Wealthy People Basically Don’t Overeat

You’ve probably witnessed this scene: in upscale restaurants, well-dressed executives order just a steak with vegetables, while at street-side barbecue stalls, shirtless men have tables piled high with grilled skewers and beer. Behind this lies a harsh truth—the better someone is at making money, the more they understand restraint when it comes to food.

I. Restraint Isn’t Stinginess, It’s Resource Management

I know a primary market investor who only eats two meals a day, with lunch always being salad and chicken breast. Some mock him for “having money but not knowing how to enjoy it,” yet this eating regimen helps him maintain 14 hours of high-efficiency work daily. Over ten years, he went from modest wealth to financial freedom.

This isn’t an isolated case. Psychological research shows that moderate hunger can activate the brain’s prefrontal cortex, enhancing decision-making abilities and risk control.

Truly wealthy people aren’t unable to afford more food—they calculate clearly. Look at business moguls: Zhou Hongyi has publicly shared his health philosophy of low-carb eating, avoiding sugars, consistent exercise, and practicing intermittent fasting. Zuckerberg consistently wears gray T-shirts and eats simple meals. Their restraint is essentially resource allocation wisdom—saving energy for more important matters.

II. The Dopamine Trap and Delayed Gratification

I have a friend who made big money through live streaming. Due to staying up late and dietary indulgence, she gained 20 pounds in six months. She jokes: “When I was poor, I dreamed of lobster freedom every day. Now I can eat lobster every meal, but I have zero interest.”

This follows neurological patterns: high-frequency stimulation dulls pleasure thresholds. When overeating becomes routine, the joy of eating actually disappears.

The psychological “marshmallow experiment” revealed long ago that children who can delay gratification achieve higher success as adults.

My friend Xiao Jing, originally a sweet-tooth lover, now has black coffee every day at 3 PM sharp instead of desserts. She says: “Resisting the temptation of a piece of cake trains character better than closing big deals.”

This training transfers to business as composure when facing market volatility. Eating well is life’s ultimate self-discipline.

III. The Sociological Metaphor of Food

Shanghai has a members-only restaurant promoting “micro cuisine”—palm-sized plates with three blueberries and yogurt. Think wealthy people are foolish?

Actually, they’re paying for “social space.” Here, food is no longer a hunger-satisfying tool but an identity marker and social currency.

The industry follows the “5-3-2 dinner rule”: 5 parts energy listening to others, 3 parts observing table manners, only 2 parts actually eating.

Those who can elegantly put down chopsticks during social meals are often the ones controlling the situation. Like Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, who only eats until 70% full at dinner parties, saying: “Leave space in the stomach so the mind has room to think.”

IV. From “Mukbang Carnival” to “Food Minimalism”

Seoul’s Gangnam District popularizes “workplace light meal sets”—office workers bring customized lunch boxes with precisely measured carbohydrates, proteins, and dietary fiber. This isn’t show-off behavior but a survival strategy for the new elite class—using standardized eating to manage body and health.

In contrast, some mukbang bloggers earn traffic by performing “ten-person fried chicken challenges,” ending up with fatty liver at young ages. One mukbang streamer literally ate themselves to death (I won’t name names).

True masters, like Japanese organizing guru Marie Kondo, incorporate “eating organization” into life management—keeping the necessary, discarding the excess.

V. Hunger Is the Perpetual Motion Machine

I’ve seen a slightly overweight female boss who always keeps a scale in her office. She developed a “hunger work method”: maintaining slight hunger during morning brain-intensive work, supplementing with nuts during afternoon tea, and only eating fruits and health soups at night.

In “The Exam Brain Science,” the author mentions an interesting phenomenon: when you’re hungry, your brain becomes particularly active. Hunger stimulates the body to secrete hormones that stimulate the hippocampus, promoting memory formation.

This aligns with writer Haruki Murakami’s creative secret: when he can’t write, he stays hungry—hunger sharpens the senses. Smart people have long treated their stomach as a second brain, not a garbage dump.

Next time you’re about to order takeout to meet the minimum delivery amount, consider Rousseau’s words: “The money in our hands is a tool for maintaining freedom and choice, not a license for self-indulgence.”

Those who truly know how to make money have long made “eating one bite less” muscle memory. After all, in this era of material excess, the ability to restrain desires is the greatest money power.

Let’s encourage each other.