Visual cues that can improve our eating habits

Inserting visual cues on snack bags could help consumers master portion control, and recognise when it’s time to stop eating.

Inserting visual cues on snack bags could help consumers master portion control, and recognise when it’s time to stop eating.

Make-eating-right-a-way-of-life

Describing the mechanism as “edible stop signs,” a team of researchers from Cornell University has proposed that adding visual markers on food packages could help people recognise serving size.

“People have a general tendency to consume whatever is put in front of them if it is palatable,” explained Brian Wansink, Cornell Food and Brand Lab director, in a statement.

“There is an increasing amount of research that suggests that some people use visual indication — such as a clean plate or bottom of a bowl — to tell them when to stop eating,” he added.

“By inserting visual markers in a package of snack food, we may be helping consumers to monitor how much they are eating, and interrupt and correct the semiautomated eating habits they possess,” said Wansink.