If no one sees me eat a plate of mac and cheese, does it still go to my hips?

The answer, of course, is yes. So why did it take me more than a half-century to realize it?

I’ll tell you what made me look at eating and digestion differently — it was the Bodies Exhibit on display at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan (It’s also in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Athens, and Dublin, Ireland, among other locations). We took the tour on the last day of our stay-cation in August.

I know there has been some controversy about the bodies them selves (who are they? They may or may not be former Chinese prisoners, it was decided). The exhibit displays whole body specimens and individual organs, and I must say, I was transfixed. It was not gory, but fascinating to me. I have a whole new appreciation for how my internal organs work. I am in awe.

Among other things, I learned that a sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 m.p.h, and that the lungs are the only part of the body that can float in water. I found out that humans shed about a pound and a half of skin each year, and that the heart pumps the equivalent of 5,000 to 6,000 quarts of blood a day.

Now to my mac and cheese question: I realized that taking a “taste” from the pot, or just a small snack before bedtime — whether or not someone is watching — matters. Why? Because you can’t fool your stomach. Now that I’ve seen what it looks like, this un-romantic sac that turns delicious food into a mealy paste, I realized just what a small part of the whole process that initial taste is (and, oh, another fun fact is that we lose half of our taste buds by the time we hit 60 years old.) I saw the size of my stomach and realized how much food I cram into it in one day. My poor belly. And my poor hips. And knees. And heart. Organ abuse, I call it.

The exhibit said that viewing it will change the way you see yourself forever. I have to say that that may be true. I have lost 5 pounds already, and I talk to my stomach (yes, it’s just a nasty side effect). We get along just fine now.

Comments about this column? Mmalloy@

liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext 202.