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A study led by Brian Wansink and published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that subjects served themselves 31 percent more ice cream in a 34 ounce bowl than in a 17 ounce bowl.
By the way, some of these subjects were nutrition professionals! No one is immune from portion distortion.
I find these studies fascinating because they frame the discussion of caloric consumption and obesity from a model that is simultaneously subconscious (when asked, subjects didn’t think they had served themselves more in the 34 ounce bowls) and environmental (if a self-serve ice cream bar only offers 34-ounce bowls, customers will serve themselves — and eat — larger quantities of ice cream).
This is precisely why “personal choice” is not always a relevant argument when talking about healthier eating.
Food companies love to wash their hands by saying customers always have choices.
Consider, though, the following example.
Burger King recently announced the “elimination” of King Size fries (580 calories and 40% of a day’s worth of sodium).
I say “elimination” because the King Size fries are still available — they are now called “large”! Similarly, what used to be “large” is now “medium” and what used to be “medium” is now “small.” These details were barely publicized.
Keep in mind that Brian Wansink’s studies have also shown that most people tend to not register fullness until they empty their plate, no matter how extreme a portion they were served.
How, then, do consumers have “choice” when they are unknowingly served an additional 100 or 120 calories?
Similarly, a dining hall chooses to order one bowl size for the self-serve ice cream station.
The best take-away lesson from these studies is that the size of serving dishes matter. If you are trying to lose weight, implement the use of smaller plates and utensils — especially with high-calorie items.
