In 2006, Dr. Brian Wansink of Cornell University and Dr. Koert van Ittersum of Georgia Institute of Technology studied the effects of the Delboeuf Illusion, an optical illusion of relative size perception, on food serving. Their study concluded that people tend to serve more when using bigger plates and tend to serve less when using smaller plates.
(A brief explanation of the Delboeuf Illusion: This applies when looking at a circle within a circle. The perceived size of the inner circle is dependent on the actual size of the outer circle. As the outer circle gets bigger, the inner circle appears to get smaller.)
This month, they released the continuation of that study, this time, investigating the effects of plate color. Still based on the said illusion, the research found a link between plate color and eating behavior, specifically, how much a person serves him or herself. The experiment used pasta buffets with red and white sauces and red and white plates. Hidden weighing scales showed that those whose food and plate had low color contrast (that is, white sauce on white plate and red sauce on red plate) served themselves 22 percent more, equivalent to 32 grams, than those who had a high food-plate color contrast.
The perception when your food and plate are the same color is that there’s less food because it seemingly blends into the background. When color contrast is high, the food is very much visible and its portion size, unmasked.
However, background color (table, tablecloth and placemat) can minimize the illusion’s effect because it draws attention away from the plate. The study reports that low plate-background color contrast reduces serving sizes by as much as 10 percent.
In addition to the effects of plate size, these findings can help us address our dietary requirements. So if your New Year’s resolution is to eat less, start by changing your dinnerware to small plates in high-sat shades to ensure maximum color contrasts. And get matching tablecloths.
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