Nyami blog
The Bottomless Soup Experiment (Why You Eat More Than You Think)
How a hidden refill revealed the quiet power of visual cues, and why overeating is often not about willpower.
If you have ever thought to yourself “I didn’t even eat that much,” only to see your weight slowly grow, you’re definitely not alone. It turns out we often eat more than we think without even realizing, and we don’t rely on our stomach’s signals to stop.
We rely on what we see. We look at our plate, and if there’s still food, we continue to eat.
Even when it’s a plate that secretly refills itself continuously. Yes, like something straight out of Harry Potter.
An American researcher specializing in mindless eating, Brian Wansink, designed a now-famous experiment. Some people ate from normal bowls, while others unknowingly ate from bowls connected to a hidden tube under the table that slowly pumped more soup into the bottom.
The results:
The bottomless-bowl group ate 73% more soup (!)
Yet claimed they felt just as full as the normal eaters
When asked how many calories they consumed, they guessed almost the same as everyone else. In reality, they ate 113 more calories on average, without any awareness.
This is how powerful a “refilling plate” can be.
Your Eyes Decide Before Your Stomach
The key takeaway: We don’t stop eating when we feel full.
We stop when the plate looks empty or when the others are finished.
Our stomach sends signals… but our eyes get the final vote. This is the main reason diets feel impossible. You’re trying to fight visual cues with willpower, and that’s a losing battle.
What You Can Do Differently, Knowing This
#1 Use smaller plates
Use smaller plates, glasses, and bowls. Remember that whatever is on your plate, you’re likely to finish, so simply serve yourself less to begin with.
#2 Be mindful when eating
Next time you’re in a restaurant or at your grandma’s, and someone keeps putting food on your plate or placing it right in front of you, remember: you don’t have to eat what’s in front of you.
Pause. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Then gently try to override the visual cue and check in with your body.
Ask yourself: Am I still hungry — or is it just my eyes telling me to keep going?
If you’d like to keep learning more about the psychology behind eating and diets, don’t forget to subscribe to Nyami’s Substack.
Reference
Wansink, B. (2006). Mindless Eating. New York: Bantam Books.