title: The 100-calorie semi-solution: sub-packaging most reduces intake among the heaviest.
abstract: This study addresses two questions about sub-packaging: (i) Do 100-calorie packages reduce the calorie intake of overweight individuals differently than normal-weight individuals? (ii) Do they enable individuals to accurately track intake? Thirty-seven undergraduates were randomly given either four 100-calorie packages of crackers or one 400-calorie package of crackers to eat while watching television. The average participant ate 25.2% (75.1 calories) less when given four 100-calorie packages of crackers than when given one 400-calorie package (P = 0.006). In addition, much of this influence was driven by overweight participants whose intake decreased by 54.1%. However, all of the participants underestimated their consumption by 60% or more, indicating that sub-packaging does not appear to increase one's accuracy in estimating how much is consumed. Smaller sized sub-packaging most greatly benefits those who are overweight, yet it does so without making people more aware of how much they have eaten.
authors.affiliation: Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. wansink@cornell.edu
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wansink
authors.forename: Collin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D018857:Food Packaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy; D013334:Students