Of course not, but a recent study from the Journal of Consumer Research demonstrates that while we may not “say” it does, our actions indicate otherwise.  Consumers who feel powerless will choose larger size food portions in an attempt to gain status.  Many cultural norms associate larger products with greater status—for instance, the size of a vehicle, house, or TV. The authors tested whether or not consumers used the size of food products to express their status.  In one of the authors’ experiments, they confirmed that consumers equate larger sizes of food options with greater status. For example, participants perceived that consumers who chose a large coffee had more status than someone who chose medium or small, even when the price was the same. In other experiments, powerless consumers chose larger pieces of bagels than baseline participants. And the authors found that participants chose larger smoothies when they were at a social event than when they were alone. But there is hope for our expanding waistlines, according to the authors. When powerless participants in one study were told that smaller hors d’oeuvres were served at prestigious events, they chose smaller items that had fewer calories.