Last Wednesday I attended the final Becker/Rose Cafe where representatives from the Food & Brand Lab at Cornell came to discuss some of the work that they do. I was really excited to attend this cafe because I pass by the Food & Brand Lab everyday as I go to class in Warren. I have actually participated in an experiment with the lab where I was given different types of food and asked to react to them. The experiment seemed really interesting to me and I have since wondered about what else they study.
One topic that David Just, Adam Brumberg, and Gnel Gabrielyan talked about was the choices that people make in deciding what they will eat and what influences those decisions. There are many methods that can subconsciously influence us to make healthier decisions when choosing what to eat. For example, there has been a nation wide move towards having smaller plates. When people are putting food on their plate, they tend to fill the entire plate regardless of how hungry they actually are. If people are given smaller plates, even if they fill these plates they will be eating much smaller portion sizes than normal.
Another tip that I found really fascinating was that when setting up a buffet style dinner, it is best to put the low calorie foods first on the table. Most people will fill up their plates at the beginning of the buffet without looking at all of their options. So if the low calorie options are presented first, people will fill their plates with those options and they will not eat as much of the high calorie foods. This mentality is also relevant when eating snacks. For example, people should put healthier snack options like fruits in easily reachable areas. The high calorie and sugary snacks should be put high up on shelves and this surprisingly has a large impact on people’s choices.
Overall I think that this was one of my favorite talks in a Becker Rose Cafe. I really enjoyed learning about the Food & Brand Lab. I liked hearing about the research that they do and it was nice knowing that I have contributed to some of their work in the past.
You did a great job describing this event and talked so positively about it! I wish I attended, thanks for sharing!
The psychology behind consumer decisions is quite intriguing. It’s also sort of scary that producers and sellers are so easily able to manipulate our behavior with such simple and subtle techniques. We may not always like to admit it, but we are quite easily influenced in many areas of our lives.
That’s so interesting! Have you tried any of these tips? Did you find them helpful? They seem like they would be easily done to help control portions and snacking!