Greater Food Variety At Buffets May Lead To Overeating

At Super Bowl parties, weddings, Independence Day cookouts and Thanksgiving dinners, group observe pinch ample spreads of food. When faced pinch galore options, other nutrient assortment increases people's action of foods, particularly calorie-rich foods, which whitethorn lead to overeating, according to a caller study conducted by researchers successful nan Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. 

"This study examined what drives group to overconsume nutrient astatine a buffet similar to eating halls, wherever millions of assemblage students eat each day," said John Long, first writer of nan study and postdoctoral clever clever successful nutrient subject and nutritional sciences. "If we place nan aspects of our modern nutrient situation - excessive variety, slick packaging, processed foods and much - that summation really overmuch group eat, we tin redesign our situation to thief america make healthier nutrient choices." 

Prior studies astatine Penn State and elsewhere indicated erstwhile group eat from a sheet pinch galore different foods, they will consume more calories. The existent study, published successful nan diary Appetite, demonstrated that greater nutrient assortment affected really overmuch nutrient group served themselves earlier taking their first bite. The researchers recovered that nan beingness of a higher assortment of foods successful a buffet accrued some nan weight of nutrient selected and nan number of calories group put connected their plates. 

How a VR buffet works 

The researchers recruited 50 group betwixt nan ages of 18 and 65 to sojourn their laboratory for 3 sessions, 1 week apart, each scheduled astatine either luncheon aliases dinner. During those sessions, participants selected a repast they wanted to devour from a virtual-reality (VR) buffet. 

The buffet presented participants pinch a different number of nutrient items astatine each sojourn - either nine, 18 aliases 27 choices. The buffet included a akin proportionality of high-energy-dense foods - for illustration cookies - and low-energy-dense foods - for illustration vegetables - sloppy of nan number of nutrient options available. Participants were instructed to abstain from exercise, nutrient and caffeine for respective hours anterior to nan sojourn to make judge they were hungry. 

Participants wore a VR headset and entered a VR buffet edifice wherever they were capable to prime foods arsenic they would astatine an existent buffet utilizing videogame-style controllers successful each hand. The strategy recorded nan weight and calories of nan selected repast on pinch nan amount of foods, including high-energy-density and low-energy-density foods.

Prior investigation by Long and Travis Masterson, adjunct professor of nutritional subject astatine Penn State and elder writer of nan study, demonstrated that group astatine a VR buffet prime akin nutrient to what they would astatine a existent buffet. Knowing that nan buffets supply meaningful data, Masterson said utilizing a VR buffet helps prevention money and time, starring to much businesslike research.

"It is costly and wasteful to make an full buffet truthful that a azygous subordinate tin usage it astatine mealtime, particularly if that subordinate needs to spell done nan buffet aggregate times, for illustration successful this study," Masterson said. "And erstwhile we request a different setup, it is overmuch easier to alteration a mounting successful VR than it is to change nan magnitude of nutrient connected a buffet." 

Variety affects eating behavior 

Participants who visited nan buffet pinch 9 nutrient items selected conscionable complete 600 grams of food. People astatine nan buffet pinch either 18 aliases 27 nutrient items selected much than 900 grams of food. Although group took much nutrient erstwhile assortment increased, location appeared to beryllium a wide precocious limit to nan full weight of nutrient group selected, according to Long, who earned his doctorate from Penn State successful 2025.

"External factors intelligibly power what and really overmuch group eat," Long said. "But location seems to beryllium a ceiling to nan full weight of nutrient selected for a meal, moreover arsenic assortment increases." 

Despite nan precocious limit of nutrient weight that group served themselves, nan calories selected did not travel nan aforesaid pattern. Participants who visited nan buffet pinch 9 nutrient items selected an mean of 850 calories of food. That roseate to 1,320 calories - astir 55% much - erstwhile 18 foods were offered, and to astir 1,500 calories erstwhile 27 foods were available. That amounts to a 75% summation compared pinch what nan aforesaid participants took from nan nine-item buffet.

"When presented pinch much options, group became much apt to take higher calorie-dense foods," Long said. "In nan U.S., galore group devour much calories than they need, and nan wide assortment of foods successful our situation whitethorn nudge america to eat much than we different would.

Preventing overeating

The researchers surveyed participants astir their personalities and different factors that could impact nutrient selection. These surveys included a person's inclination to activity retired nutrient variety, whether a personification engaged successful affectional eating, and their reluctance to effort caller foods.

Of nan 5 awesome characteristic traits successful this study - openness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and conscientiousness - only conscientiousness made a difference. People who scored higher successful conscientiousness- a trait linked pinch self-discipline and goal-directed behaviour - were little responsive to nan greater assortment of foods. When much options were available, they added less calories by limiting their action of energy-dense foods compared to participants little successful conscientiousness. 

"We tin each beryllium a small much conscientious astir our nutrient choices and conscious of our environment," Masterson said. "Behavior alteration starts pinch being alert of nan things that power us. If we are alert that assortment mightiness tempt america to eat much than is healthy, we whitethorn beryllium capable to make amended decisions for our health." 

Redesigning nan eating environment

In nan agelong run, Masterson and Long said they dream this investigation will spell beyond promoting consciousness and thief america redesign nan ways we brushwood nutrient successful nan world astir us.

"Experts person been informing group for decades to watch what they eat, and nan obesity pandemic has only increased," Masterson said. "Clearly, our nutrient situation is overriding our expertise to limit our diets."

Long agreed, and repeated that nan eventual extremity of this activity is improving nan nutrient situation for everyone.

"By knowing nan factors that thrust our choices, we dream to beryllium capable to creation eating environments that support wellness alternatively than overconsumption," he said.

Other Penn State researchers who contributed to this study see Kathleen Keller, Helen A. Guthrie Chair and professor of nutritional sciences; and Barbara Rolls, distinguished professor of nutritional sciences besides contributed to this research. Paige Cunningham, adjunct professor of nutritional sciences astatine Cornell and erstwhile postdoctoral interrogator astatine Penn State, besides contributed to this research.