Are larger wineglasses leading to more drinking?

Are larger wineglasses leading to more drinking?


Sharp-eyed consumers may have noticed that plates have grown in size over the years, leading to larger portion sizes and, in turn, larger human beings. That’s led to something of a backlash among folks who are changing to smaller plates to help lose weight.

Now, the focus is shifting to the size of wine glasses, with the same theory in play. Are larger wine glasses playing a role in the increasing amount of wine being consumed? British researchers were determined to find out if reducing wine glass sizes would help cut consumption.

They started by collecting glasses with a stem and foot that have been available or sold in England from 1700 to 2017. They searched everywhere for glassware, from eBay sites to John Lewis, the department store with the largest online selection of wine glasses. They contacted experts in antique glassware from museum curators to the Royal Household, where a new set of glassware is commissioned for each monarch. In the end, they obtained 411 glasses.

Next, the team measured the total capacity of the bowl of the glasses. Their findings, reported in the British Medical Journal, show that the capacity has increased significantly in the past 300 years. Capacity was 66 milliliters in 1700, and it is 449 milliliters today. There has been a marked increase in the size of wine glasses since the 1990s, corresponding to an increase in demand for wine in Britain.

For those interested in reducing the amount of public drinking, and related health and safety issues caused by people who have imbibed too much, the report suggests subtly reducing the size of the glasses. After all, as with most things in life, size does matter.

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