Tag Archives: portions

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Koç University in Istanbul have proven the effects of portion distortion in a study just published in the Journal of Consumer Research.  They conducted five qualitative studies that included actual food consumption- all of which demonstrated that consumers will eat more of something if the serving size is identified as “small,”  regardless of how big it actually is.

They attached different size labels (small-medium-large) to large servings of various food and beverage products.  Inevitably, when people consumed a large serving labeled “small”, they felt less guilty.  The researchers identified this effect as “guiltless gluttony.”  This phenomenon leads to unintended and uninformed overconsumption, which is most demonstrated when consumers’ guards are down due to busy schedules.

These findings highlight the great extent to which consumers remain uncertain about appropriate food and beverage serving sizes.  They rely on marketers to attach subjective size labels—and they believe them.  What will you do with this power to affect consumers’ eating habits?  How have the serving sizes for your products changed over the years—or have they?