Alcoholism Larger glasses mislead to drink more

Glasses or glass of wine? Size seduces for quick drinking
In a large bulbous glass of red wine is well ventilated and can develop its aroma optimally. What's good for the bouquet, apparently has other effects: From a larger glass is like faster and more drunk, a science team from the University of Cambridge found in England.

In the service of science, an experiment was carried out in a restaurant with an attached bar. Over a period of 16 weeks, the waiters changed glasses every 14 days for the wine. Standard 300 ml glasses were alternately replaced by smaller (250 ml) and larger (370 ml) jars. The wine assortment, the quantity fed in, the prices and the shape of the glass remained the same over the whole investigation period.

Large glasses tempt you to drink more alcohol. Picture: pusteflower9024 - fotolia

Earlier studies had already shown that the shape and size of the dishes and the drinking vessels can affect the consumption. Apparently, this is also the case with alcoholic drinks: The drinking habits of customers, who had no idea of ​​the experiment, fluctuated every two weeks. In the times with the larger glasses, the amount of wine delivered daily was on average 9 percent larger than in the weeks with the standard glasses. In the bar area, the effect was particularly clear. Here sales increased by more than 14 percent, in the restaurant only by 8 percent. One reason could be that the bargains almost only bought wine in glasses. In the restaurant, visitors mainly ordered bottles and decanters. Perhaps the amount drunk was better assessed in this way.

If the wine is served in a glass, its size probably changes the perception of the quantity of wine. In a large glass, it is rated lower, so that the visitors drink faster and thereby more - so the theory. However, smaller glasses did not lead to lower consumption in the experiment, the authors write in the journal "BMC Public Health". Since too much alcohol consumption has health consequences, it is important to know such influencing factors. Therefore, the results should be examined more closely in further investigations. Then it will become clear whether one can outsmart oneself with a smaller glass and reduce the consumption of wine. Heike cross, aid