Deciphering Cues That Make You Eat More or Less
More:
Hershey Co. learned that individual wrappers on bite-size candy were getting in the way of people eating candy in certain settings, like in the car. The company responded with Reese's Minis, a small, unwrapped version of its classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, in a resealable bag. It facilitates "I-can-pop-one-in-my-mouth, on-the-go type of behavior," says Michele Buck, senior vice president and chief growth officer for Hershey.Less:
Packaging is so influential that even a subtle hint seems to nudge people to stop eating. Researchers fed college students watching television Lay's Stax with a red chip placed at various intervals throughout the canister in a 2012 study. Some students got regular canisters without any red chips. Students given canisters with red chips ate less than half the amount than those without red chips. When questioned later they also more accurately described how much they ate. An "artificial barrier" helps eaters decide when to stop, says Andrew Geier, lead author of the study published in Health Psychology.Read the WSJ article here.
If you are intrigued with this issue, I highly recommend the book Mindless Eating (Amazon link at the bottom of the page).
