Cinema-goers size up stale popcorn

Hungry film fans who buy large buckets of popcorn will happily munch through stale mouthfuls, a study shows.

Large portions influence over-eating as much as taste, even if the food tastes nasty, researchers found.

When moviegoers were served stale popcorn in big buckets, they ate 34 per cent more than those given it in medium boxes. Tasty food created even larger appetites, tests revealed.

Fresh popcorn in large tubs resulted in people eating 45 per cent more than those given fresh stuff in medium-sized buckets.

'Portion size can influence intake as much as taste,' said Prof Brian Wansink, of Cornell University in New York. He added: 'Large packages and containers can lead to over-eating foods we simply do not find very appealing.'