Restaurant Ambience Affectc Calorie Consumption

The new study published in the journal Psychological Reports suggests that the atmosphere of a restaurant that includes the lighting, music may affect your mood for food. According to the study, softer lighting and music in a restaurant leads to consumption of fewer calories.

"When we did a makeover of a fast-food restaurant, we found that softer music and lighting led diners to eat 175 fewer calories and enjoy it more," said the study's lead author, Brian Wansink, professor of marketing and director of Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab.

For this study the researchers Brian Wansink of Cornell University and Koert van Ittersum of the University of Georgia, took over the Hardee's restaurant where they did a little redecorating before the customers could walk in. One bit of the dining area was kept unchanged and the other part there was the softened music and lighting. They place Thirty-three people in the main unchanged dining room, while 29 sat in the modified dining room.  

Till date people were under the notion that relaxed environment in a restaurant leads to excess consumption of food.

Both the groups ordered the same food, whereas the people sat in the modified area ate longer and wasted most of the food, indicating less consumption of calories. They rated their food higher.

According to the report, the modified area caused them to eat 18 percent less of what they ordered is 775 calories instead of 949. 

"These results suggest that a more relaxed environment increases satisfaction and decreases consumption," Wansink said. "This is important information for fast-food restaurants, which are often accused of contributing to obesity: Making simple changes away from brighter lights and sound-reflecting surfaces can go a long way toward reducing overeating -- and increase their customers' satisfaction at the same time."