ITHACA, N.Y., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. adults estimate they make about 15 food-and-beverage-related decisions each day, but in reality they make some 200 decisions a day.
Cornell University researchers Brian Wansink and Jeffery Sobal asked 139 university staff and students to estimate how many decisions they make about food each day; the average response was 15.
However, when the volunteers then answered specific questions about when, what, how much and where they ate and who made decisions about meals, snacks and beverages, the researchers found that the staffers and students actually made an average of 221 food-related decisions each day.
"It's really easier than we think to let small things around us -- plate size, package size, people around us, distractions -- influence these 200-plus decisions because we are not aware of them in the first place," said Wansink.
"Rather than try to overly obsess about our food decisions, it's better to change the environment so that it works for us rather than against us, making it easier to make decisions to eat less."
The findings are published in the January issue of Environment and Behavior.
