Research suggests that not only do larger portions lead consumers to enjoy the foods they eat less, they also reduce how often people consume those foods.
January 31/Pittsburgh/PRNewswire -- Portion sizes have steadily increased over the last few decades, with consumers demanding more food and larger beverages from companies happy to accommodate and capture the market share. However, new research from Carnegie Mellon University suggests that not only do larger portions lead consumers to enjoy the foods they eat less, they also reduce how often people consume those foods.
Each bite of a food or sip of a drink is enjoyed less than the previous one, a familiar phenomenon called "sensory-specific satiety." A well-known fact is that the more someone eats or drinks, the more satiety reduces the enjoyment of that food or beverage. So consuming a larger portion means a reduction in the average enjoyment of the food or drink consumed.