Snackwell effect


Snackwell effect is a phenomenon that states that dieters will eat more low-calorie cookies, such as SnackWells, than they otherwise would for normal cookies. It is also described as a term for the way people go overboard once they are given a free pass or the tendency to over-consume like in the case of people eating more of low-fat food due to the belief that it is not fattening.
The term, which emerged as a reaction to dietary trends in the 1980s and 1990s, is also used for similar effects in other settings, such as energy consumption, where it is termed the "rebound effect". For example, according to a 2008 study, people with energy-efficient washing machines wash more clothes. People with energy-efficient lights leave them on longer, and lose 5–12% of the expected energy savings of 80%.

In popular culture

In the Seinfeld episode "The Postponement," Rabbi Glickman goes into a brief diatribe about the Snackwell effect in an off topic discussion with Elaine.