Behavioral Economics, Food Assistance, and Obesity

Agricultural and Resource Economics Review,  Oct 2006  by Just, David R

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CEST also plays a role in determining the quantity of food consumed. As individuals become distracted, they have less ability to monitor the amount of food they have consumed. This generally leads to overconsumption. Distractions that are known to increase consumption include conversation, reading (Tuomisto et al. 1998), watching television, listening to music, or watching sporting events (Poothullil 2002). For example, social gatherings tend to extend the duration of meals, leading to greater consumption (Bell and Pliner 2003). Thus, the larger the gathering, the greater the consumption (de Castro and Brewer 1992). The presence of others can affect consumption not only through distraction, but through the setting of social norms. When eating in groups, individuals tend to try to eat amounts similar to their peers (Birch and Fisher 2000, de Castro 1994). Additionally, the convenience with which food can be obtained can have a disproportionate impact on consumption quantity. Meyers, Stunkard, and Coll (1980) find that significantly more ice cream is purchased when the cooler door is left open than when shut.

The food environment can affect consumption through several separate mechanisms. First, the simple viewing of food can lead to unplanned consumption (Boon et al. 1998, Cornell, Rodin, and Weingarten 1989). This happens because viewing the food acts as a reminder of a pleasurable experience, and because viewing and smelling food actually induces the release of dopamine, stimulating hunger (Volkow et al. 2002). Wansink and Deshpande (1994) show that simply asking an individual to describe the last time they ate soup more than doubles the amount of soup consumed on average in the next two weeks. Similarly, having large quantities of a food on hand increases the consumption of that food significantly regardless of replacement cost.

Cosmetic differences in the food can also have a large impact. Offering a greater variety of foods (or perceived variety) increases consumption (Miller et al. 2000, Rolls 1986, Rolls et al. 1981). As well, packaging can impact consumption by introducing simple consumption monitoring mechanisms. For example, individually wrapping items can dramatically reduce consumption (Wansink 2004).

People tend to eat more when they are presented with larger packages or portions of food (Diliberti et al. 2004, Rolls et al. 2004, Wansink 1996, Nisbett 1968, Rolls, Morris, and Roe 2002, Edelman et al. 1986). Doubling portion sizes increases consumption anywhere from 18 to 25 percent for meal-related foods and up to 45 percent for snack foods (Wansink 1996). Moreover, larger package sizes lead individuals to severely underestimate their consumption, ex post. Astonishingly, individuals will eat more when given larger portions even if the food is reported to be repulsive by the subjects (Wansink and Kim 2004). A general result is that individuals tend to focus on consumption volume when determining a stopping point rather than specific levels of nutrients or calories.