the Sugar Conspiracy

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Super size this!

The New York Times has an interesting article about recent studies showing that America as a culture has an effect on the growing levels of obesity in the country.

Rather, social scientists are finding, a host of environmental factors — among them, portion size, price, advertising, the availability of food and the number of food choices presented — can influence the amount the average person consumes.

"Researchers have underestimated the powerful importance of the local environment on eating," said Dr. Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who studies food preferences.

Give moviegoers an extra-large tub of popcorn instead of a container one size smaller and they will eat 45 to 50 percent more, as Dr. Brian Wansink, a professor of nutritional science and marketing at the University of Illinois, showed in one experiment. Even if the popcorn is stale, they will still eat 40 to 45 percent more.

Keep a tabletop in the office stocked with cookies and candy, and people will nibble their way through the workday, even if they are not hungry. Reduce prices or offer four-course meals instead of single tasty entrees, and diners will increase their consumption.

In a culture where serving sizes are mammoth, attractive foods are ubiquitous, bargains are abundant and variety is not just the spice but the staple of life, many researchers say, it is no surprise that waistlines are expanding. Dr. Kelly D. Brownell, a professor of psychology at Yale and an expert on eating disorders, has gone so far as to label American society a "toxic environment" when it comes to food.

Now I don't think this means that the responsibility for obesity rests with American culture and not with the consumer. It is still the responsibilty of the consumer to eat a sensible diet and exercise. But in our super-size-all-you-can-eat-for-one-low-price society, the consumer also needs information about the constructs of their culture which work against them. If you can understand those cultural elements that tend towards overindulgence or understand the psychology of eating habits, that knowledge can help you better navigate this Fast Food Nation. I think this article is helpful in that regard.

posted by chris at 11:54 AM
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