Waist versus waste
Overconsumption and food waste are two prominent challenges in the domain of food consumption that many societies are currently facing. On the one hand, people consume too much food, contributing to the worldwide surge in obesity rates. On the other hand, people waste too much food—an average of 74 kg per capita each year. While these issues have traditionally been studied in isolation, this dissertation aims to offer a more holistic understanding of consumer food consumption by considering both aspects.The chapters touch on several environmental and individual factors that influence food quantity throughout the entire consumer decision-making process. Chapter 2 reveals the food practices that link the good provider identity to household food waste. Identifying excessive purchasing as the main culprit, an intervention is developed and tested at the point of purchase to mitigate this tendency and reduce food purchasing quantities. Chapter 3 challenges the prevailing marketing strategy to “supersize” food and argues that packages with smaller servings and units can offer more product value. Chapter 4 investigates whether and how changing the unit size of food could contribute to a reduction in food consumption and waste. Finally, Chapter 5 provides a general discussion of this research and its outcomes, explores both managerial and practical implications, and offers directions for future research.Together, the findings highlight the critical role of selecting and acquiring appropriate food quantities in combating overconsumption and food waste. Effective win-win strategies include, for instance, nudging consumers toward smaller package sizes and packaging food in smaller servings.