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Changing the Way We Eat: A Research on the Changes in our Eating Habit

Romell Ian B. De La Cruz

Ateneo De Manila University

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ABSTRACT

This paper looks at three areas of eating that have changed throughout the years. It

also looks at how these three have affected the waistlines of the general population. The first

area is portion sizes. Portion size is how much is being served. And in different instances, it

has been shown that portion size has increased, as evidenced by a change in dinner plate size,

among others. The second factor is food packaging. Here, it is said that subtle details can

affect what we consume and how much we consume of that certain food item. The third, and

definitely not the least, is the atmospherics, or the so-called “ambience” of a certain eating

place. It is said that our immediate surrounding can affect how much we eat and how long we

eat, depending on what the immediate eating surrounding is.

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Nowadays, there is an ongoing thought of being happy with whatever size one may

have. So, it is not a surprise to see brands dedicated to “plus size” men and women. The

number of these so-called “plus sized” men and women are growing. One has only to look

around to notice it for yourself. But this growth would not happen if there is no increase in

demand. And, indeed, there is an increase in demand owing from the growing obesity

numbers.

According to an article in the World Health Organization (WHO) website, the number

of people with obesity has grown. It has increased by almost two-folds in between 1980 –

2008. In the 1980’s, only 5% of men and 8& of women had obesity, worldwide. By 2008,

10% of men and 14% of women are obese. This is not a statistic that is focused on the United

States and a few other key cities. This is a statistic that has a worldwide scope.

In the Philippines alone, there is has been an increase in the mean, or average, body

mass index (BMI), from 21.2 in 1980 to 22.9 in 2008. The Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a

measure of measure relating a person’s height and weight. It may be said that the increase in

number is not too alarming but that number is only an average. In 2008, 6.4% of all Filipinos

are obese and 26.9% are overweight. That is 33.3% of the population that are categorized as

overweight/obese. But what is obesity?

“Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that

presents a risk to health (WHO, 2014).” It affects the way we live our lives. It may inhibit us

from the things we want to do. Thus, it is an imperative that we look after our weight. Aside

from being a big disruption to the way we live, it is also an expensive disease to take care of.

According to the US National Institute of Health (2014), “US$75-$125 billion is spent

on indirect and direct costs due to obesity-related diseases.” Author Eric Schlosser says in

one of his books that the amount of healthcare spending in the United States on obesity-

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related illnesses reach US$240 billion. Those amounts account for the 25.5% of Americans

who are obese and, possibly, the 69.4% who are overweight.

Yet, the increase of the average waistline is not by coincidence. Clothes are not the

only things you see being “upsized.” Fastfood chains offer food items that definitely go over

the recommended serving sizes and are full of unhealthy calories. Food companies have

started selling large bags of food items that are also many times over the prescribed amount.

Now, these supersizing are not the only factors that affect our waistlines and the way

we eat. Besides the increases in portion sizes, packaging, and the eating atmosphere also play

a part in changing the way we eat and, in turn, our waistlines.

The first factor which affects weight gain of the general population is the increase in

portion size of food that is served in restaurants and in packets. First, I would like to

differentiate the concepts of serving size and portion size. The difference is essential in

understanding how portion sizes, and not the serving sizes, are to blame for the overeating of

people, which leads to weight gain.

According to a paper released by the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity of

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006, p.2), a serving size “is a standardized

unit of measuring foods…used in dietary guidance.” Meanwhile, a “[portion] size is the

amount of a single food item served in a single eating occasion.”

With this in mind, the amount of food we eat can be affected by the portion sizes of

the food being served. This means that a larger bag of potato chips or a larger dinner plate

might cause an increase in the amount of food consumed. This is evidenced by a research

done by Van Ittersum & Wansink (2012, p.4) wherein they investigated the effects of the

Delboeuf Illusion on food consumption. What they did is to give subjects two bowls, one of

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which is larger than the other. They were trying to see how much the size of the bowl

affected the perception of the subject on the serving dish and the subsequent reaction to

putting food on their own bowls.

The Delboeuf Illusion is a phenomenon introduced by a Belgian by the name of Franz

Joseph Delboeuf in 1865 which says that 2 identical circles are perceived differently when

surrounded by a “much larger circle and the other one was surrounded by only a slightly

larger circle.” With regard to this concept, Van Ittersum and Wansink found that people eat

more when given bigger plates and less when using smaller ones. This would mean that, as

consumers, we would want to avoid purchasing food items in large bags or plates. This is

easier said than done.

In a set of presentation slides released by the United States National Heart, Lung and

Blood Institute in 2002, which is available on their website, almost all of the food items they

measured exceeded the standards set by the FDA and the USDA by up to 700%. In addition

to this, common fastfood items are 2-5 times larger in comparison to 50 years ago, with

regards to the portion sizes. The changes in the portion size are not only evident in food items

available commercially but also in the sizes of the dinner plates.

In the 1700’s, a dinner plate was less than 9 inches in diameter. By the early 1900’s, it

grew to 10 ½ inches. Since then, buffet plates, which measure 12 inches in diameter, are

being used in exchange for dinner plates (Smith, 2013).

With the increase in portion sizes served in restaurants, the increase in the sizes of

dinner plates, and the subsequent increase of the amount of food consumed due to the

increase in plate size, calorie intake would grow. This would not necessarily mean an

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increase in weight, as mentioned by the research review paper released by the Division of

Nutrition and Physical Activity. What it mentions, though, is that there are “short-term

studies showing that controlling portion sizes helps limit calorie intake (p.1).” It is also stated

there that the amount of calories consumed can only be considered as fattening when the

amount of calories consumed is greater than that which is consumed. But, given the

conclusions reached by Van Ittersum and Wansink, in their research, we find that, indeed,

there is an increase in consumption and that it would lead to weight gain.

Another factor in how much food we have consumed is the packaging and the

surrounding environment in which we are eating. On top of the idea that bags of food items

have grown larger, we have been manipulated by advertisers and marketers in their plans to

keep us hungry and have us eat.

There are many ways of manipulating, or tricking the human mind, into doing things

or influencing the decisions it makes. One way of doing so is tricking the eyes and sight, one

of the major senses that we use to observe the world we live in. This can be achieved through

the use of colors. This is called Color Psychology.

Color Psychology has been around for quite some time and its findings on the

connection between color and emotions have been instrumental in the advertising industry

(McArdle, 2013). It is this idea that the research would like to put forward in the further

investigation of how packaging affects food consumption.

With a simple observation of most fastfood chains, one thing remains the same. They

all use the color red. This would be counterintuitive for institutions who want to create a

brand name and separate itself from the competition through branding. So, why then would

these fastfood chains want to use the same color repeatedly?

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It has been shown that the red shows excitement and passion. Aside from this, red is

also used to show that people should act immediately (Morris, 2013). These ideas would then

be transferred to the food people are eating. They would, subconsciously, be imbibed with

the idea that the food is exciting and very good. They would also be hinted that they must act

immediately on their whims with regard to food, specifically the food items being sold in

whatever red-themed fastfood chain there is. These includes most, if not all, fastfood chains.

McDonalds, KFC and Jollibee are a few examples of this. As mentioned by guidance

counselor Abet Go, in a personal correspondence, if many fastfood chains are doing it, then

the marketers must be doing something in the right direction (personal communication,

Febrauary 21, 2014).

Aside from the color red, yellow is another dominant color used by the fastfood

industry. According to Morris (2013), yellow is tied to “happiness, excitement and fun.” On

top of that, it easily catches the eye of people, causing them to notice the sign and whatever

the sign represents. In the case of fastfood restaurants, they would be easily noticed by

hungry consumers, which might make them more susceptible to eating in the restaurant.

A color’s hue is not the only one which affects our consumption of food. Color

contrast also plays a part in food consumption. In the same research done by Van Ittersum

and Wansink (2013) on the Delboeuf Illusion, they also investigated the effects of color

contrast on the amount of food which is consumed.

They have found that the more intense the contrast between the serving dish and the

food the more food one is prone to eating. Meanwhile, the reverse, meaning less contrast,

lessens the consumption.

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With the use of colors, we see that visual cues, used by marketers and entrepreneurs

in luring potential customers, are affecting the way we eat. Advertisers use highly stylized

versions of the food they advertise. These are “cues” that tell us that, somehow, the food item

looks nice and must also taste nice. We are, then, getting convinced to purchase the certain

food item and eat it. Another one is the whole set-up of a supermarket. According to author

Charles Duhhig (2012), most supermarkets are arranged so that you would buy more

junkfood because you have already bought fruits, which were at the front of the stores.

Yet, the effects of visual cues go beyond making one eat more. If used in the right

way, visual cues, which could be included in food packaging, can be used to help people

control their eating and be more mindful of the amount of food they have consumed. But the

lack of it is helping to facilitate the growth of the obesity epidemic.

To support my claim on visual cues, a research by Geier, Wansink and Rozin (2012)

tested how dividers in a can of potato chips would help people approximate better their

consumption. They put red potato chips every after one serving. What they found was that

because of the dividers, people were more conscious of how much they were eating. This

would entail a more mindful way of eating, albeit subconsciously.

Another packaging idea that might be contributing to the obesity epidemic is the

wholesale, bulk buying of food products. A paper by Wansink (2004) mentions how the large

stocks of food makes the food more appealing to eat, through the sheer volume that people

see. Wansink points out a study by Terry & Beck which “investigated the link between the

visibility of stockpiled food and obesity (p. 468).” What they did was to compare the habits

of homes with obese and non-obese families. They found that, in general, newly stocked food

items are more prone to be eaten.

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Nowadays, most food items are sold in big packs. These packs are good for more than

one serving. Meaning, they can be used to restock the pantry, so to speak. Yet, people

consume them within one sitting.

It is not only the stockpiling that makes people eat more, but also its visibility.

Making food more visible “can stimulate unplanned consumption (Wansink, 2004).” This

event happens because of the visible food serves a constant reminder to eat it.

Having stockpiled food in one’s home may be a way for us to go and eat, meanwhile,

restaurants are trying hard to make their restaurants more appealing, consciously and

subconsciously, to eat and stay at. Wansink (2004) mentions four “drivers in the eating

environment: (a) eating atmospherics, (b) eating effort, (c) eating with others, and (d) eating

distractions.”

For the purpose of this discussion, I would like to differentiate all four and how they

affect how we eat, which, in turn, affects our weight.

“Atmospherics refer to ambient characteristics—such as temperature, lighting odor

and noise—that influence the immediate eating environment.” (Wansink, 2004, p. 465) These

factors combine to form the environment which is suitable for a comfortable, yet prolonged,

stay at the restaurant. This would make one eat more since one feels comfortable inside the

restaurant.

After atmospherics, there is the eating effort. This is “related to the ease, access, or

convenience with which a food can be consumed. This is one of the strongest influences on

consumption (Wansink, 2004).” Several studies have been conducted and have shown that

several opportunities for easier access to certain food items, like ice cream and milk, made

people eat it more.

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But eating more can also be attributed to eating with another person. Wansink (2004)

goes to say that “…the presence of other people influences not only what is eaten, but it can

also increase how much is eaten (p. 461).” Friendly and familiar people make one eat more

since one is relaxed.

While eating with other people, especially friends and family, makes people eat more

because they are comfortable, eating with distractions create “script-related patterns that are

uncorrelated with hunger (Wansink, 2004, p.463).” These “script-related patterns’ are

patterns, or rhythms, that are brought about by certain distractions. Take eating popcorn while

watching a movie, for example. One would tend to get more and eat quicker when the movie

gets more fast-paced. The distractions create, as the name says, distractions which make one

forget about the amount of food one is taking. Not minding what we are taking would lead to

eating more, which would lead to weight gain and, most probably, weight gain.

Another packaging-related factor is that variety, or its perception, increases food

consumption. “Khan and Wansink have shown that simply increasing the perceived variety of

an assortment can increase consumption (Wansink, 2004, p. 466).”

Why would food companies invest so much in creating the perfect environment and

the perfect packaging for their products? They want profit. This profit is the driving force to

the next thing that affects our eating habits: marketing.

Chandon & Wansink (2012) have shown that accessibility, along with saliency and

convenience are what marketers focus on. In doing so, overeating becomes easier to do due to

the fact that eating is a highly habitual behavior that can be affected by the environment.

Different factors in marketing have led to a manipulation of consumers by marketers.

Changes in price can affect what people buy. Lowering prices for a long time leads

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consumers to buy more, thus, consume more. A short-term price change increases the

consumption of that food. This continues weeks until after the sale.

The entirety of this paper has focused on the different aspects of the eating habit and

how it has changed through the years.

First, there are the changes in the in dinner plates which implies a more voracious

style of eating. Secondly, there are the different packaging ideas that contribute to one

consuming more than the recommended amounts. Last, but definitely not the least, there are

the numerous ways that marketers try to woo us into consuming their food product, may it me

in a to-go package or inside a restaurant.

These factors have, directly or indirectly, affected the way everyone eats. This creates

the growing epidemic of obesity, which we must be aware of. Obesity is a major problem in

modern society. Knowing these factors, we are now able to discern what we need to be

mindful of to take care of ourselves.

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References

Chandon, P. & Wansink, B. (2012). Does food marketing need to make us fat? a review and

solutions. Nutrition Reviews. [Journal Article]

Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity.(2006). Research to Practice Series No. 2: Portion

Size. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Article with no author]

Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. New

York: Random House

Geier, A., Rozin, P. & Wansink, B. (2012). Red potato chips: segmentation cues can

substantially decrease food intake. Health Psychology, 31(3). [Journal Article]

McArdle, S. (2002). Psychology of Color in Logo Design. Retrieved from

http://thelogocompany.net/blog/infographics/psychology-color-logo-design/.

[website]

Morris, A. (2013, May 21). Marketing Tips: The Psychology of Color Manpulation for

Advertising. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/marketing-tips-psychology-

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index.htm.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2002). Portion Distorion II Interactive Quiz

[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/portion/index.htm.

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Smith, A.(Ed.).(2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. Oxford:

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