Modifying the Food Environment: From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better March 6, 2012 Presenter: Brian Wansink, PhD Director, Food and Brand

Modifying the Food Environment: From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly

Eating BetterMarch 6, 2012

Presenter:

Brian Wansink, PhDDirector, Food and Brand Lab

Charles S. Dyson School of Applied Economics & ManagementCornell University

Moderator: James M. Rippe, MD – Leading cardiologist, Founder and Director,

Rippe Lifestyle Institute

Approved for 1 CPE (Level 2) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Commission on Dietetic Registration

NUTRI-BITES®

Webinar Series

From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better

This webinar covered: The impact of the food environment on

food intake

Common eating myths about food and weight gain

Small practical strategies to use to change food intake behaviors at home and in communities.

Nutri-Bites® Summary

© Wansink 2011MindlessEating.org

““Surely something as basic as the Surely something as basic as the size of a bowl wouldn’t influence size of a bowl wouldn’t influence how much an informed intelligent how much an informed intelligent person eats.person eats.””

Eating Myths that Make Us FatEating Myths that Make Us FatEating Myth #1Eating Myth #1


Would Big Bowls Lead Us to Eat More Would Big Bowls Lead Us to Eat More Even If We Didn’t Like the Food?Even If We Didn’t Like the Food?

The Field StudyThe Field Study (Chicago, IL) (Chicago, IL)

• 168 Moviegoers to Mel Gibson168 Moviegoers to Mel Gibson’’s s ““PaybackPayback””

• Free (preweighed) popcorn (Free (preweighed) popcorn (““Illinois History Illinois History MonthMonth””))

Large or X-Large Popcorn (pre-weighed)Large or X-Large Popcorn (pre-weighed) FreshFresh or or 5-day-old5-day-old Popcorn Popcorn

• After the movie . . .After the movie . . . Asked how much they thought they ate Asked how much they thought they ate Weighed the remaining popcornWeighed the remaining popcorn

Wansink, Brian and Junyong Kim (2005), “Bad Popcorn in Big Buckets: Portion Size Can Influence Intake as Much as Taste, “ Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37, 112-120..


Taste is Important,Taste is Important,But Size Matters -- a But Size Matters -- a LotLot

People ate 45% more fresh popcorn People ate 45% more fresh popcorn from the extra-large containers than from the extra-large containers than large oneslarge ones

But . . .But . . .

They even when the popcorn was They even when the popcorn was stalestale, they ate , they ate 34%34% more from the more from the extra-large bucketsextra-large buckets

The danger? They donThe danger? They don’’t realize they t realize they do it do it -- -- ““Not meNot me””

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

LargeBucket

Extra-LargeBucket

Fresh

5 DaysOld

Grams Eaten

Wansink, Brian and Junyong Kim (2005), “Bad Popcorn in Big Buckets: Portion Size Can Influence Intake as Much as Taste, “ Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37, 112-120..


““OK, so people serve more from OK, so people serve more from big bowls and plates and wide big bowls and plates and wide

glasses. glasses.

““At least they know when they are At least they know when they are full and they can stop before they full and they can stop before they

overeatovereat””

Eating Myth #2Eating Myth #2


Would You Keep EatingWould You Keep Eatingif Your Bowl Never Emptied?if Your Bowl Never Emptied?

““Clean Plate ClubClean Plate Club”” -- Some people use empty -- Some people use empty bowls & plates as a cue theybowls & plates as a cue they’’re done eatingre done eating

• If bowl isnIf bowl isn’’t empty, they keep eatingt empty, they keep eating• What if it never empties?What if it never empties?

We Designed a Bottomless BowlWe Designed a Bottomless Bowl• Brought in sixty adults for a free lunchBrought in sixty adults for a free lunch• Half got 22 oz normal bowls; Half got 22 oz normal bowls; half got 22 oz bottomless bowlshalf got 22 oz bottomless bowls• Pressure-fed under the table, slowly refillsPressure-fed under the table, slowly refills• What does this look like?What does this look like?

Wansink, Brian, James E. Painter, and Jill North (2005), “Bottomless Bowls: Why Visual Cues of Portion Size May Influence Intake,” Obesity Research,13:1 (January), 93-100.


Bottomless Soup Bowls Bottomless Soup Bowls Lead to Bottomless AppetitesLead to Bottomless Appetites

Results:Results: • People kept eating; Ate 73% more until People kept eating; Ate 73% more until

stoppingstopping• Yet, they didnYet, they didn’’t think they ate more.t think they ate more.

Lesson:Lesson:• Eye it, dish it, eat itEye it, dish it, eat it• DonDon’’t rely only on stomach to tell us t rely only on stomach to tell us

when wewhen we’’re full -- it can re full -- it can ““lielie””

Wansink, Brian, James E. Painter, and Jill North (2005), “Bottomless Bowls: Why Visual Cues of Portion Size May Influence Intake,” Obesity Research,13:1 (January), 93-100.


““Most of the obesity problem has to Most of the obesity problem has to do with food eaten away from do with food eaten away from home.home.””

Eating Myth #3Eating Myth #3


““The Joy of Cooking The Joy of Cooking Too MuchToo Much”” (Wansink & Payne 2009, (Wansink & Payne 2009, Annals of Internal MedicineAnnals of Internal Medicine, 150(4):291-, 150(4):291-

292)292)

8 editions about every 10 years: 1937-2006

We analyzed calories & serving sizes for recipes over the years


““The Joy of Cooking The Joy of Cooking Too MuchToo Much”” (Wansink & Payne 2009, (Wansink & Payne 2009, Annals of Internal Annals of Internal MedicineMedicine, 150(4):291-, 150(4):291-

292)292)

ResultsResults• All but 1 recipe increased in caloriesAll but 1 recipe increased in calories• Average calories/serving size increased 63%Average calories/serving size increased 63%

2/3 is due to more calorie-dense ingredients2/3 is due to more calorie-dense ingredients 1/3 is due to larger serving sizes1/3 is due to larger serving sizes

• Biggest jumps: 1946, 1962, 2006Biggest jumps: 1946, 1962, 2006

What to Do?What to Do?• Divide what you cook into 2 and freeze ½ before Divide what you cook into 2 and freeze ½ before

putting it on the tableputting it on the table


Momentous Problems & Household Momentous Problems & Household SolutionsSolutions

ProblemsProblems Our immediate Our immediate

environment causes us environment causes us to overeatto overeat

Big platesBig plates Big bowlsBig bowls Wide glassesWide glasses

Eye-level foodsEye-level foods Stockpiling & salienceStockpiling & salience

SolutionsSolutions Change our immediate Change our immediate

environment to eat lessenvironment to eat less

Smaller plates (10¼)Smaller plates (10¼) Smaller bowlsSmaller bowls Narrow glassesNarrow glasses

Adjust eye-level foodsAdjust eye-level foods Rearrange cupboards.Rearrange cupboards.


Mindless Eating Mindless Eating SolutionsSolutions How much is enough?How much is enough?

• 2500 people -- 4 out of 5 would be 2500 people -- 4 out of 5 would be ““happyhappy”” losing an average of losing an average of less than less than 18 lbs18 lbs

• ItIt’’s not impossible . . . s not impossible . . .

The Ripple Effect of one small changeThe Ripple Effect of one small change• 1. What1. What’’s my s my ““bestbest”” change? change?• 2. How do I know if its working?2. How do I know if its working?• 3. How can I 3. How can I ““keep the changekeep the change””? ?


RecapRecap

Three Eating MythsThree Eating Myths• WeWe’’re smarter than a bowlre smarter than a bowl• We know when we’re fullWe know when we’re full• Obesity is what happens outside our Obesity is what happens outside our

homehome The Mindless Method ProgramThe Mindless Method Program The Ripple Effect of Small ChangesThe Ripple Effect of Small Changes

Documents

Modifying the Food Environment: From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better March 6, 2012 Presenter: Brian Wansink, PhD Director, Food and Brand