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Deutsche Welle

The research project, which is scheduled to run for 10 years is located in the university cafeteria. Twenty scientists from the "Center for Innovative Consumer Studies," representing fields ranging from physics to psychology, are the investigators. And 250 students and university employees have volunteered as test subjects. The canteen has been turned into a high-tech laboratory equipped with sensors, video cameras and other devices designed to spy on, measure and analyze the subjects’ behavior during their meals. How do they behave at lunch? What food do they pick and how do they consume it? Among the many factors being studied is the influence of the surroundings; the lighting, the background sounds, the smells and colors can all be varied and their effect measured. Suppose there are fresh flowers on the table. Does it make a difference if the plates are round or square? New food products are also being tested, as are innovative cooking methods and service solutions.

The results of the study can help policy-makers, health experts and food manufacturers influence consumers’ eating habits. This is necessary, say the scientists, to counteract widespread nutrition-related problems like obesity and diabetes. So far, good dietary advice and appeals to reason simply have not worked.

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Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  A fast-food restaurant in the university town of Wageningen in the Netherlands. At first glance, a fairly normal eatery. But everyone who eats lunch here is being watched non-stop. Twenty inconspicuous surveillance cameras record every bite, every chew and swallow of the restaurant guests. Nothing escapes these lenses. The canteen is called "Restaurant of the Future" – t’s actually a high-tech laboratory. It has been set up to study people's eating habits over a 10-year period. Over 200 university employees have volunteered as test subjects for this unique investigation. What influences are at work on us when we eat?

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Project head René Koster and his team of 20 researchers are trying to answer that. They know our eating behavior is not controlled by rational decisions, but by other factors: "There are three factors involved: the surroundings – her words, where you eat – that it's like and the moment of eating – are you hungry or not? Then, secondly, there’s the product itself. How does it taste? How does it look? How much does it cost? The packaging is important, and so forth. And thirdly, there’s the individual person."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  The lunchroom-lab’s ingenious technology allows these factors to be influenced at will. For instance, by varying the lighting of the restaurant interior. The scientists use that to set up the color-mood of the restaurant. Initial results suggest that diners will eat more slowly and consume larger quantities in red light than when the lighting is blue. The prices of the food are also varied continually. The investigators want to know what role cost will play in the decision for or against a certain dish. This is the first research project to really objectively study eating behavior without having to rely on subjective questionnaires.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  When each of the 200 test-eaters visit the restaurant, their individual choice of food is registered. By the end of a decade this will have produced a gigantic, detailed and personalized log of eating habits – a dietary biography. But that's not all. The subjects’ weight is also recorded over the course of the decade. Before they pay, the diners – without being consciously aware of it – are being weighed. Their trays are also weighed – before and after the meal.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  The cameras enable the researchers to document everything that goes on in the restaurant. How do the guests choose their food? Where do they go and sit? Do they eat alone or with others? The investigators are particularly interested in the actual process of eating. They can get quite excited about the moment when the diner digs into a meal. Food Psychologist Stefanie Kremer is one of the curious scientists: "You can see when he starts with the soup? When does he eat his roll? When does he drink? How many sips? How many bites? Do they talk while eating? We can measure the total length of the meal. We're recording all this data. And over time we hope to discover certain patterns that will help research."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  The surveillance system also takes an objective look at the subjective element of taste. Special software measures the face of the diner during the meal. It can tell if the food tastes good – or not. It’s still being tested. Later, all the faces of the restaurant guests will be analyzed. What role does the temperature or texture of the food play in the guest’s choice? That is also studied carefully. Every bite is analyzed in terms of the chewing motion and the force involved. After all, if healthy food is difficult to consume, no one will want to eat it.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Eating for science. This project is set to produce millions and millions of data points over the next years. It will ultimately provide an integrated picture of our eating habits. Although results have yet to emerge, the goal of this mammoth project is clear: Stefanie Kremer: "Of course the idea behind it is how can we get people – even unconsciously – to choose healthy food. That is basically the big goal over the ten years." The first few months of the project have already shown that questionnaires and appeals to reason are not sufficient to understand and influence people’s eating habits. The only way to really figure out 21st century eaters will involve 21st century technology – and lots of patience.