Why sinful foods come in mini-packs

B. Venkatesh

One of my friends is calorie conscious because his doctor has asked him to reduce his body weight. Like most of us, he loves eating! He has conceived of a master plan to resolve this conflict. He stocks small packages of high-calorie snacks. His body weight has, however, increased since he started snacking in small portions. Why?

The answer lies in consumer behaviour. You would have noticed that snack foods come in all colours and shapes, but often only in two sizes — small or big. There seems to a reason for this.

Marketers have found that they are primarily two kinds of snack eaters — those who indulge and those who are calorie conscious but would like to taste such food in small quantities.

Tasty pleasure

The problem is that the mini-packs are potent danger to the dieters. These people believe that small packages help them control their temptation and yet allow them to indulge in some tasty pleasure. Often, however, the calorie intake in mini-packs is underestimated. Besides, dieters consume more calories when handed such small packages than when they are dished out large tub of buttered popcorn or bag of chips.

This may seem counterintuitive. Studies in the past have shown that we tend to consume more when offered more. Recent research, however, shows that we tend to apply brakes when offered large portions of high-calorie food.

The reason could be that the world has more self-confessed dieters now than in the past. It is, hence, easier for us to resist large portions of high-calorie food than it is to ward off small portions.

Temptation in mini-packs

We eat a slim bar of chocolate but shy away from a relatively bigger one. Besides, research has shown that some dieters view mini-packs as diet food! Marketers know it only too well. That is why department stores stock these sinful foods in mini-packs.

My friend now believes that the undetected small temptation in mini-packs has led to his weight increase. He is revamping his snack bar. But the marketers could well counter his move!

(The author is an investment strategist.)

Sourced from: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/