One reason Americans have such a huge weight problem? Our
dishware. When faced with a bigger plate, people are inclined
to heap on-and consume-more food. And plate sizes, like
waistlines, have expanded.
But what about color? If plate area can change serving size,
could we also trick ourselves into eating less by changing
the color of those dishes?
Cornell eating behavior expert Brian Wansink enlisted 60
unsuspecting adults to find out. Half of those attending a
buffet lunch were assigned to a line with only white Alfredo
sauce-coated pasta and the other half were ushered to the
line with only red marinara-sauce pasta. Folks in each line
were randomly given a red or white plate.
Those with plates that matched the color of their food helped
themselves to much more than those who had plates of another
color. The findings are in the Journal of Consumer Research.
[Koert van Ittersum and Brian Wansink, "Plate Size and Color
Suggestibility: The Delboeuf Illusion's Bias on Serving and
Eating Behavior"]
So next time you're buying dishes, remember that it's not
just size that matters.