Mindless Eating
experiment: Chinese
buffet
Darcy Grogan
Topic & methods
My experiment takes place in a Chinese buffet in my
home town. When someone is given the opportunity to
get a new plate as often as they want and is given a
multitude of Chinese cuisine options, how much are they
actually inclined to eat?
I observed the first six people that I saw in the restaurant:
three men, and three women
Why researching this topic is
applicable to the nation
• I believe this topic is applicable to the general public
because I think everyone suffers from “eyes bigger than
our stomachs”. If we see that all these options of food
are unlimitedly available for one price, I think that
naturally we are going to eat all that we can get for
what we paid for without considering how much food
we are mindlessly consuming.
Who was studied
• There were six people studied: three men and three women
and they were the first six I saw in the restaurant.
Subjects:
- Man 1
- Man 2
- Man 3
- Woman 1
- Woman 2
- Woman 3
(all subjects between ages 25-50)
hypothesis
If restaurant goers are given an unlimited amount of
food for a standard prices, they will be more inclined to
go back for more even if they are not hungry.
methods
• I observed each individual and was able to watch how
much food they put on their plate, what kind of food,
and how many times they went back for more after the
server cleared their plates.
• After each plate was cleared, the individual receive a
tally for each plate of food they went back for.
• I also considered how much time they spent between
getting their next plate of food.
What were the findings of
the research?
• Man 1- received 2 full platesof food containing majority of
proteins, starches, and fried food. Waited roughly 8 minutes
from the time he put down his utensil, and the waitress took
his plate for his second serving.
• Man 2- received 3 full plates. Consumed mainly proteins,
sautéed veggies, and fried foods. His third plate was only
dessert cookies. 7.5 minutes between his 1st and second
plate, 12 minutes between his 2nd and 3rd plate.
• Man 3- received one plate of food and 2 bowls of wonton
soup. His plate was mainly steamed veggies, and brown rice.
5 minutes between his soup and his main plate.
• Woman 1- had 3 servings of food, but with very small
portions. She started with a bowl of soup (4 minutes),
then a plate with two types of proteins, steamed
veggies, and fried rice (10 minutes), then she got her
next plate full of lo mein noodles and more veggies.
• Woman 2- had 2 plates. First plate consisted of
seafood and fried rice, (15 minutes) then consumed a
full plate of only lo mein.
• Woman 3- had 1 plate of steamed white rice and
steamed veggies, and 1 bowl of soup.
Were results similar
throughout the subjects
tested?
All but one of the subjects observed received at least two
servings of at least one thing. Some of the subjects
avoided the healthy options and opted for the fried or
sauce smothered food choices. If the subject did choose
the steamed food choices, then they still gave themselves
heavy portion sizes and went back for more.
Did the findings match the
hypothesis?
• Yes. Majority of the individuals proved my hypothesis
to be accurate by choosing to over indulge in the food
they were able to see around them even though they
were more than likely no longer hungry.
What observations can you make
regarding the results and the
longwood university population?
• After observing the subjects, I feel that the same
temptations can be witnessed in dhall, Moe’s, Sweet
Frog, and other relatively close food options within the
Farmville area. Students are more likely to over
indulge themselves when they are presented with all
these overwhelming food options that are not apart of
a balanced and healthy diet.
How can these results help to
change “mindless eating?”
• I would be able to say that developing healthy eating
habits while we are still in school and not in the real
world yet, we would be better off at preventing
mindless eating to happen. All of my subjects were
adults and on their own and I feel that if they
developed a healthy eating foundation early on, then
they would not suffer from over eating.