It's Not Just the Food in Fast-Food Restaurants That Makes You Fat

A cherry on top: Diners also rated the meal as “more enjoyable”.

The conventional wisdom held that dining under softer lights and with more mellow music would cause diners to eat more, not less, Wansink says, but “these results suggest that a more relaxed environment increases satisfaction and decreases consumption. This is important information for fast-food restaurants, which are often accused of contributing to obesity.

”Making simple changes away from brighter lights and sound-reflecting surfaces can go a long way toward reducing overeating — and increase their customers’ satisfaction at the same time,” he says.

So if you’re lining up for a bacon double-cheeseburger at Sonic or Wendy’s and you hear Vivaldi in the background and have to squint to read the menu, it’s all good – especially if you walk off the meal once you leave the restaurant.