The package size effect: How package size affects young children’s consumption of snacks differing in sweetness

Abstract

Adults consume more from large packages and portions than from smaller ones. Food intake increases with larger packages, which may be due to larger consumption norms. Even when foods are non-palatable, large containers can lead to overeating. However, these potential effects and how they depend on the food type have not been tested among young children. We conducted two experiments in a controlled environment. In a first study, which is a conceptual replication of Wansink and Kim (2005), we presented children (age 6–7) with either regular (30g) or larger (60g) cups of salted or sugared popcorn while watching a movie. In the second study we wanted to replicate the findings of the first study, but used a less palatable food type (baby carrots) or a more palatable one (ladyfinger cookies) instead of the sugared versus salted popcorn. Children between 3 and 6years received the snacks in either regular or large packages during breaks at school. Consumption was measured by subtracting the individual package’s post-snack weight from its pre-snack weight. In both studies we found that young children ate more from large packages compared to regular packages and they ate more of the sugared food compared to the less tasty one. Furthermore, the package size effect was stronger for sugared foods in both experiments. Our results have important implications for snack producers, package designers, and policy makers.