The Medical Freedom Channel

“How many M&Ms are enough? It depends on how big the candy scoop is. At least that’s a key factor, says a study that offers new evidence that people take cues from their surroundings in deciding how much to eat. It explains why, for example, people who used to be satisfied by a 12-ounce can of soda may now feel that a 20-ounce bottle is just right. It’s ‘unit bias,’ the tendency to think that a single unit of food — a bottle, a can, a plateful, or some more subtle measure — is the right amount to eat or drink, researchers propose. ‘Whatever size a banana is, that’s what you eat, a small banana or a big banana,’ says Andrew Geier of the University of Pennsylvania. And ‘whatever’s served on your plate, it just seems locked in our heads: that’s a meal.’” (07/31/06)