Food presentation can affect preferences

Subjects in an experiment were asked to consume as much soup as they desired. They ate soup in one of two conditions: a normal bowl and a self-refilling bowl. The self-refilling nature was not noticeable to the participants. Individuals with self-refilling bowls ate 73% more soup than those eating from normal bowls, but estimated their consumption as being the same. This suggests that consumption is based on visual cues rather than the fullness of one’s stomach.