Always get the bigger pizza
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I'm personally kind of peeved that it is nearly impossible these days to buy some things (eg. bags of tortilla chips) that aren't comically super-sized, because I know if I buy the big bag and they are just sitting in the kitchen I'm likely to overeat them, so I just end up not buying them at all.
But if it's the former then you have me intrigued. How does the size of the bag affect your perception?
But assuming you're right: eating an entire non-supersized bag is almost as bad as eating an entire supersized bag. The solution is not a moderately-less-bad splurge size, it's putting the bag away.
Which is the common case in my experience. Once every few weeks or so I'll be food shopping and think, you know what I really want now, chips! And then I'll buy a bag, take it home, eat it and then not buy chips for another few weeks. So the smaller the bag, the less chips I eat.
You're proposal works on the assumption that human willpower is constant and infinite.
Focus on the main point, that it's still quite bad to eat an entire non-supersized bag. If the original wish of 'no supersized bags' was granted, no problem would be solved! There would be even more chip overeating on georgemcbay's part, as they bought more bags.
It's like comparing 22 inch and 30 inch pizzas, nobody should be eating an entire pizza that big over the course of a couple days.
The hot food example I agree with - small portions are economically punished except with very quality food (which is expensive anyway).
Seriously though, there are people who will gladly eat pizza every day. Just because you don't like it (or maybe you just don't have any quality pizza restaurants nearby), doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/02/26/282547399/one-reas...
When it comes to pizza, the majority of the cost is labor plus fixed costs. The actual material cost of goods is negligible - but perceived value is high.
Even an educated person is going to intuitively feel like a 16 inch pizza is twice as big as an 8 inch, and a less educated person will actually think as much.
b) When it comes to food, money should not be the only factor in the equation. There is the health aspect as well, and if you are not that hungry, you better off eat what you need, rather than eat more just because it is cheaper.
This applies on all junk/industrial/processed food - the less you consume, the better!
Your health is important at least as your wealth.
Another example, if you are thirsty and a can of Coke is enough, get the can, despite the fact a larger bottle has x5 drink in it and cost few cents more, simply because a bottler will make you drink more Coke, while you should drink less.
[1] http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293984-d807042...
The larger the pizza, the smaller the ratio of fixed width perimeter to center. If the area of the perimeter were to maintain a constant ratio to the total area, it's width would have to increase in proportion. That applies to any 2D shape, not just a circle or square.
In fact, the calculation in op is wrong because a 16" pizza isn't merely four times as large as an 8" pizza. The 1" crust makes the 16" really a 14" while the 8" is really a 6". 14^2/6^2 = 5.44 times as large.
b: If you were to say anything like that in the USA, you'd be reported to the TSA for un-American activities as soon as anyone heard you. And the NSA would hear you, even if you said it inside your own head. So bring a 100ml or smaller bottle of lube with you for the probe next time you fly.
"We need 5000 widgets"
"That will cost $10,000 but if we make 10000 it will cost $15000 making each one cheaper"
Overproduction kills.
The pizza place is laughing because the cost of production doesn't square with the radius.
For me, as I happen to love pizza, better prices on larger ones is a win. It's either cheaper calories (if I consume it at once) or meal that lasts longer (if I eat a half of it and eat leftovers for a several hours later).
In rare cases I consider I really want just a tiny bit and won't like any more pizza for the next 6 hours I obviously order a smaller one.
In business, inventory is expensive, especially if you end up throwing it away.
http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-31/american-...
3.27 million unsold cars sitting on the tarmac.
That's two weeks total US car sales, and 10 of the top selling 20 are Japanese marques
http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html
Producing more than twice what you sell makes no sense unless your metric is cost of production per car rather than sales per car produced
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/02/26/282547399/one-reas...
Buying the bigger pizza only makes sense if you know you or someone else can finish it. If you buy a bigger pizza and don't finish eating it, you end up wasting money.
Even better than selling by weight would be selling by calorie. Virtually all customers would get a good impression of both the value and the costs of that pizza.
Too accurate -- it would probably significantly decrease sales.
And regarding health concerns: you don't have to eat the whole thing at once! Besides, Pizza is pretty much the food of choice for feeding groups, and being more efficient with your group food budget is totally a win.
Keep in mind that the cost of a pizza is not just the cost of the ingredients (dough and tomato paste also being particularly cheap). The wages of the worker, the fuel for the oven, and the rental for the shop are all constants.
</sarcasm>
I know I've bought large pizzas with the full intention of eating the whole thing over a few days time.
I just have to not eat it at once but protract the consumption for a whole day (and chew properly and have enough water), to keep stomach reasonably happy with the meal.