Pleasure as a Substitute for Size: How Multisensory Imagery Can Make People Happier with Smaller Food Portions

Abstract

Research on overeating assumes that pleasure must be sacrificed for the sake of good health. Contrary to this view, the authors show that focusing on sensory pleasure can make people happier and willing to spend more for less food, a triple win for public health, consumers, and companies alike. In five experiments, the authors ask U.S. and French adults and children to imagine vividly the taste, smell, and texture of three hedonic foods before choosing a portion size of another hedonic food. Compared with a control condition, this “multisensory imagery” intervention led hungry and nondieting people to choose smaller food portions, and they anticipated greater eating enjoyment and were willing to pay more for them. This occurred because multisensory imagery prompted participants to evaluate portions on the basis of expected sensory pleasure, which peaks with smaller portions, rather than hunger. In contrast, health-based interventions led people to choose a smaller portion than the one they expected to enjoy most—a hedonic cost for them and an economic cost for food marketers.