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Buffet_Variety Effect
We just returned from a two-week vacation at an all-inclusive resort. One of my concerns as I prepared to head off on my much-needed break was whether I could withstand the pull of an endless variety of foods. Even if one were to sample very little from any food offering, it would take very little to surpass one's daily caloric needs.
In chapter 2 of my forthcoming book titled The Consuming Instinct: What Juicy Burgers, Ferraris, Pornography, and Gift Giving Reveal About Human Nature (Prometheus Books, 2011), I explore a wide range of variables that affect the quantity of food that is consumed in any given seating. One of these factors, coined the variety effect (see Remick, Polivy, & Pliner, 2009 for an excellent review of relevant studies), speaks directly to our inability to oftentimes walk away from the endless choices available at a buffet. See here for one of my earlier posts on Chinese buffets.
The variety effect has been confirmed in a wide number of ways. For example, one will consume a greater amount of yogurt if offered three flavors as opposed to one. In my opinion though, the most interesting finding from the vast literature on the variety effect is the demonstration that perceptual cues that otherwise do not alter the taste, texture, or smell of a given food can nonetheless augment how much we eat if they trigger our innate penchant for variety. For example, if individuals are offered M&M candies in one color, they will eat fewer candies then if offered the same amount of candies albeit in multiple colors. Similarly, the shape of pasta (one shape versus multiple shapes) also affects the amount of pasta eaten. Neither the candy colorant nor the pasta shapes alters in an objective manner the food in question, yet they each serve as a triggering cue for variety seeking.
The food psychologist Paul Rozin has argued that our innate need for food variety stems from two separate goals: (1) ensuring that we are not overly exposed to food toxins and pathogens that might otherwise be found in any given food source; (2) ensuring that we obtain the necessary heterogeneous sources of nutrients that our bodies require. Hence, our innate penchant for food variety is an adaptation, which can become maladaptive in today's world of plenty.
Bottom line: Variety is exciting but dangerous! That said I am happy to report that I returned from my vacation having successfully avoided putting on any weight although this required my having to exercise between 60 to 90 minutes every day!
Ciao for now.
Source for Image:
http://www.healthkicker.com/708375402/reasons-why-you-should-never-go-t…
