Progress 11/01/05 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The consumption or intake underestimation of calories is often cited as a contributing factor to obesity. The purpose of this project is to determine how marketing vehicles influence psychological processes, which then may influence consumption behaviors. The project involves three areas of applied research related to mind-body interactions and health: 1) How do labels influence serving size perceptions and intake 2) How calorie underestimation is related to body size and 3) How does the intake social context and activity influence calorie estimation. Progress during the period of this report is reflected in the conduction of three studies as follows: to address the relationship between calorie underestimation and body size we investigated whether the eating behavior of people at all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets differed depending upon their body mass. Twenty-two trained observers in our team recorded the height, weight, gender, age and behavior of 213 patrons in Chinese buffets throughout the United States. We conducted two studies on how intake social context and activity influence calorie estimation and food intake: in the first one we investigated whether people who use internal cues of satiation when eating a meal are likely to weigh less than people who rely on external cues and looked into the French Paradox: why does a rich and indulgent food culture as the French have a relative low number of overweight individuals We surveyed 133 individuals in Paris and 145 in Chicago about how they knew when to stop eating. Their answers were compared across BMI levels and across countries. In our second study we investigated how the amounts, caloric content and resulting portion sizes of recipes in cookbooks have evolved over the last 70 years. To this end, we studied 18 recipes that have survived the different editions of The Joy of Cooking, a popular cookbook in the United States. Data on the amounts and caloric content of the ingredients called for and the resulting portion sizes and caloric content of the prepared foods were recorded and analyzed for these recipes. Results from these studies have been widely disseminated through a variety of communication outlets. Over the internet through the two websites we created during the first year of this project www.foodpsychology.cornell.edu and www.mindlesseating.org and through many online news, blogs and forums. Other outlets for the dissemination of these results, reaching millions of people across the Unites States and throughout the world, include radio, TV, magazines, newspapers and newsletter at the national, regional and local level such as: USA Today, Wall Street Journal, ABC News, NBC News, The Cornell Chronicle and the Cornell Food & Brand Lab newsletters. Dissemination to the scientific and professional communities has been conducted through the publication of papers in academic journals (referenced under the publications section) and through presentations in the Annual Meeting of Experimental Biology, Association of Consumer Research (ACR) and American Dietetic Association (ADA). PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Results from the study conducted at Chinese buffets showed that patrons with higher levels of Body Mass Index (BMI) were more likely to be associated with using larger plates vs. smaller plates and seating facing the buffet vs. on the side or the back. Conversely, they were less likely associated with using chopsticks vs. forks, or browsing the buffet before eating vs. serving themselves immediately. Patrons with lower BMIs left more food on their plates and chewed more per bite of food. These findings are noticeably consistent with important principles of food intake that have been isolated only in highly controlled laboratory situations. Such principles relate to food convenience (serving without browsing or using a fork instead of chopsticks), consumption norms (using larger plates) and salience (facing the food). These observational findings reinforce the idea that introduction of small changes to our environment may lessen our tendency to overeat. Results from this study were published in 2008 in Obesity (as referenced under publications) and broadcasted on national TV through a special program on Mindless Eating in the NBC News-Today Show. In our study on the relationship of internal and external cues to meal cessation the French reported relying more on internal cues (such as when they feel full) while Americans rely more on external cues (like when the TV show they're watching is over.) Reliance on external cues leads to greater food consumption, which may help explain why America has such higher obesity rates. These results indicate that relying on oneself for meal cessation, rather than on external cues, may provide one important key to energy balance. Results from this study were published in 2007 in Obesity (as referenced under publications). Our study on the evolution of recipes through the last 70 years showed that the average caloric content of the recipes under study went from 261 calories in 1936, to 384 calories currently, a 60% increase. Not only are these recipes calling for more sugar and fat but the resulting portions are bigger too. It is worth noting that even though a specific cookbook was used for our study this trend is present in most cookbooks. Results from this study were presented in the special TV program A Dangerous Trend in Cookbooks in Good Morning America. Additionally, a paper under the title The Joy of Cooking Too Much is forthcoming in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Publications
- Cornell University Food & Brand Lab Newsletter. The Mindless Eater, Fall 2008
- Wansink, B. & Payne, C. 2008. Eating Behavior and Obesity at Chinese Buffets. Obesity 16 (8): 1957-1960.
- Wansink, B., Payne, C. & Chandon, P. 2007. Internal and External Cues of Meal Cessation: The French Paradox Redux. Obesity, 15 (12): 2920-2924
- Vartanian, L.R., Herman, C.P. & Wansink, B. 2008. Are We Aware of the External Factors that Influence Our Food Intake Health Psychology, 27 (5): 533-538.
- Wansink, B. & Payne, C. 2009. Forthcoming. The Joy of Cooking Too Much. Annals of Internal Medicine.
- Cornell University Food & Brand Lab Newsletter. The Mindless Eater, Winter 2008
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
The consumption or intake underestimation of calories is often cited as a contributing factor to obesity. The purpose of this project is to determine how marketing vehicles influence psychological processes, which then may influence consumption behaviors. The project involves three areas of applied research related to mind-body interactions and health: 1) How do labels influence serving size perceptions and intake 2) How calorie underestimation is related to body size and 3) How does the intake social context and activity influence calorie estimation. Significant progress was made through multiple research studies conducted during the period of this report. Four studies conducted focused on addressing a facet of the American obesity paradox: the simultaneous increase in obesity and in the popularity of restaurants serving lower-calorie foods and claiming to be healthier. Two more studies focused on addressing why even though nearly all persons underestimate their
caloric intake considerable evidence indicates that this bias is much worse for those who are overweight Results from these studies have been widely disseminated through a variety of communication mechanisms. Over the internet through www.foodpsychology.cornell.edu and www.mindlesseating.org, the two websites created during the previous period of this project, and through many other outlets reaching millions of people across the Unites States and throughout the world such as online news, blogs, and forums. Dissemination to the scientific and professional communities has been conducted through the publication of papers in academic journals (referenced under the publications section) and through presentations in the 2007 Annual Meeting of Experimental Biology, the 2007 Marketing and Public Policy Conference and the 7th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, 2007. To reach other audiences the findings have also been reported in newspapers, magazines and TV special programs reaching many
different audiences at the local, regional and national levels. These include USA Today, ABC News, Reuters, The Early Show, 60 Minutes and The Journal of Life Sciences, among others.
Impacts
Results from the four studies conducted to investigate the American obesity paradox showed that people underestimate the caloric content of main dishes and choose higher calorie side dishes, drinks or desserts when fast-food restaurants claim to be healthy (e.g. Subway) compared to when they do not (e.g. McDonalds). These studies also indicate that the health halo effect can be eliminated by simply asking people to consider the opposite of such health claims to be true. These results help explain why the success of restaurants offering low-calorie foods has not led to the expected reduction in total calorie intake and in obesity rates. Additionally, they suggest innovative strategies for consumers, marketers, and policy makers interested in fighting obesity. These studies and the corresponding results were published in 2007 in the Journal of Consumer Research, as referenced in the publications section. These results were published in 2007 in the Journal of Consumer
Research, as referenced in the publications section. In the two studies conducted to address why calorie estimation is especially extreme among overweight persons, overweight and normal-weight adults were asked to estimate the number of calories in a fast-food meal they had ordered and eaten or in 15 different sizes of the same fast-food meal. Results show that both overweight and normal-weight participants strongly underestimate the number of calories in larger meals while they almost perfectly estimate the number of calories in smaller meals. The greater underestimation of calories by overweight persons was found to be a consequence of their tendency to consume larger meals and not of their body size. These results support the argument that the increasing portion sizes of restaurant meals contribute to rising obesity rates in the United States, and thereby have important implications for public health professionals, nutritionists, the foodservice industry and consumers. These
results were published in 2006 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, as referenced in the publications section.
Publications
- Chandon, P. and Wansink, B. 2007. The Biasing Health Halos of Fast Food Restaurant Claims: Lower Calorie Estimates and Higher Side-Dish Consumption Intentions. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(3), 301-314.
- Wansink, B. and Chandon, P. 2006. Meal Size, Not Body Size, Explains Errors in Estimating the Calorie Content of Meals. Annals of Internal Medicine, 145(5), 326-332.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
The consumption or intake underestimation of calories is often cited as a contributing factor to obesity. The purpose of this project is to determine how marketing vehicles influence psychological processes, which then may influence consumption behaviors. The upshot of this project will be to provide debiasing packaging, labeling, and advertising recommendations to the government and industry as well as a comprehensive outreach program. The project has progressed in a number of different areas. First, as stipulated in the publication section, a book, and a number of top tier medical and consumer behavior journal articles have been published that relates to the three applied research themes related to mind-body interactions and health: 1) How do labels influence serving size perceptions and intake, 2) How calorie underestimation is related to body size, and 3) How does the intake social context and activity influence calorie estimation. In addition to this, two
websites have been created to disseminate the results of these projects to the public at-large (www.mindlesseating.org; www.foodpsychology.cornell.edu). These websites provide not only information regarding the progress of these projects, but also provide tools and activities that education professionals (at all levels) can use to help students understand the power of labeling on their decision making and consumption behaviors.
Impacts
The results of these projects that have been completed so far have been reported in USA Today, New York Times, 20/20, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and other various local, regional, and national television and newspaper outlets. In addition, both mindlesseating.org and foodpsychology.cornell.edu contain teaching modules and tips that educational professionals (at all levels) can use to educate their students about how their environment (i.e., marketing vehicles) can bias their selection and consumption of different foods. It is expected that through dissemination of results of these studies through media outlets and the world wide web, consumers will be better able to recognize environments that lead to unwanted selection and consumption of foods.
Publications
- Wansink, B., Painter, J.E., & Lee, Y. 2006. The Office Candy Dish: Proximitys Influence on Estimated and Actual Candy Consumption. International Journal of Obesity, 30(5), 871-875.
- Wansink, B. 2006. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Food and Nutrition Misinformation. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(4), 601-607.
- Wansink, B. 2006. Mindless Eating:Why We Eat More Than We Think, New York: Bantam-Dell.
- Wansink, B., Cordua, G., Blair, E., Payne, C.R., & Geiger, S. 2006. Do Promotions for New Wines Contribute to or Cannibalize Beverage Sales? Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administrative Quarterly, 47, 327-336.
- Wansink, B. & Chandon, P. 2006. Can Low-Fat Nutrition Labels Lead to Obesity? Journal of Marketing Research, 43(4), 605-617.
- Wansink, B. 2006. Nutritional Gatekeepers and the 72 pct Solution. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(9), 1324-1327.
- Wansink, B. & Wright, A.O. 2006. Best if Used By: How Freshness Dating Influences Food Acceptance. Journal of Food Science, 71(4), S354-357.
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