Brian Wansink, a Cornell University researcher, has written extensively on what he calls mindless eating. The concept can be summarized thusly: the bigger your plate, the more youll eat, even if you aren't hungry or know better. Hes proven it time and again through practical studies involving stale popcorn, secretly-refilling soup bowls, and Super Bowl parties peopled by MBA students.
I was always shocked to see how much wasted food was left on trays at my university. Many students just grabbed some of everything, piled it on their trays and sat down. Without the trays, they'd have to consider whether they really wanted a particular item or not.
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