February 6, 2006
Visual Cues Can Cause Overindulgence
You’ve heard the phrase “your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” but have you ever thought that maybe it’s really your bowl that’s bigger than your stomach? Some research indicates that serving containers, food displays, and color and flavor variety may actually be cueing your mind to consume more than you need.
Here are two interesting studies; both conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
Two groups of people ate soup from identical sized 18 oz bowls, but unbeknownst to the participants, one set of bowls was rigged with spouts and slowly refilled with soup. People eating from the replenishing bowls consumed 73 percent more soup, but did not rate themselves as feeling any more full than the other group. The researchers theorized that rather than paying attention to whether or not their hunger was satisfied, participants from the bottomless bowl group used visual cues to determine consumption.
Another study examined how food displays affect consumption quantity. Participants were evenly divided into two rooms under the guise that they would be viewing the Super Bowl. One group was served a snack of mixed nuts and chips from two large bowls. The other group was offered the same quantity of the snack, but the food was divided into four equally sized, smaller bowls, rather than two large containers. Prior to the game, both sets of participants were told they could serve themselves food from the bowls, using a one-cup scoop. Those who served themselves from the larger bowls took 53 percent more and consumed 56 percent more than the group that used the four smaller bowls. Researchers concluded that larger containers prompt people to take a greater serving size in relation to what they feel would be appropriate from a smaller container.
Other research has supported the theory that what we view with our eyes may subconsciously alter the signals that dictate consumption. Some examples:
- The color blue has been found to suppress hunger, so blue plates may inhibit food intake.
- When candy is displayed in containers on nearby desks or tables, people will eat it, regardless of hunger.
- Opaque food containers provoke eating.
- People consume more when given an abundant and mixed variety of flavor or color choices, as with candies like M&Ms and jelly beans.
Don’t let your mind play tricks on you. Prevent overindulging by eating pre-portioned food, limiting variety, using smaller bowls and plates, and measuring or weighing serving sizes prior to eating. Also, eat your food slowly so that you recognize feelings of satiety before you’ve had the chance to consume too much. You may not need to rush out and buy a set of small blue bowls and plates, but by being prepared for potential pitfalls, you can avoid a lack of willpower or unintentional overeating.
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