Some Accept ‘Downsizing’ at Restaurants

Americans will sometimes accept a smaller portion in a restaurant to save calories, a new study suggests. And they might even be willing to pay the same price. The study was done by two business professors, not doctors. The setting was a Chinese food restaurant in a hospital. As they went through the serving line, people were asked if they wanted a half-size portion of the rice or noodles that went with the main course. The server told them this would save 200 calories. Some people were offered 25 cents off for choosing the smaller portion. Others got no discount at all. Depending on the day, 14% to 33% of the customers chose the half-size portion. The discount made no difference in how many people accepted. Researchers also weighed the leftovers. They found that people who took half-size portions left just as much food on their plates as those who took full portions.