« Taking climate change seriously | Main | Metanews » Portions"Architectures of Control" ponders our tendency to eat all of a portion we're fed, so that if we get "supersized" portions, we eat more. My wife and I have noticed, with our kids out of the house, that we eat all or most of a dish that used to serve the whole fmaily with leftovers for another meal. One question which does arise from thinking about packaging and portion sizes is to what extent established sizes (weights, volumes) have affected consumers’ habits. Is it coincidence that, say, a typical bag of crisps (potato chips) in the UK used to be 1 oz (around 28g), and that that’s about the portion that most people ate in one go? In the last ten years though, cheaper brands have reduced to 25g or less, and premium brands escalated up to 38g or 45g - and yet still people eat one packet at a time, even when it may be almost double the weight of another. When the default size of spirit measures in pubs has gradually risen from 25 ml (down from 1 fl oz previously?) up to 35 ml or even doubles (50 ml) unless the customer specifies otherwise, this must have an effect on consumers’ behaviour. Most people do not spend double the time drinking a 50 ml measure that they do a 25 ml measure. They drink it in perhaps a few seconds longer, yet have imbibed double the amount of alcohol. (Equally, the shape of glasses affects perceptions of liquid quantity - more of Prof Wansink’s research.) jon posted this at 8:23 AM |
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Boy, can I identify with the "cook for 4 but 2 people eat it all." ;-)
Posted by: Nancy White | February 9, 2007 4:29 PM