Brian Wansink at Cornell University studied the amount of food people eat by changing factors such as plate or container size, the atmosphere and décor of their eating environment, whether the food sconsumed had enticing brand names, whether the food was within reach, and the color variety of foods.

He found that the subtle visual and cultural cues of eating environments often determine what, how much and why people eat.

Wansink’s book, Mindless Eating is an entertaining look at food choices and gives some helpful tips to manage our appetite and eating habits.