Recently, psychologists Derek Rucker and Adam Galinsky reported that manipulating people's feelings of status either at work or in social life in various ways changes the amount that people will pay for products. The researchers told individuals to write about a time they felt either powerful or powerless and then asked them how much they would be willing to pay for different products. Subjects who had written about feeling powerless offered to pay more for luxury products such as a stylish pen or fur coat, yet the desire for a quick fix for feelings of low status may put those who regularly feel as if they lack influence at greater risk of having enormous debt – or at least of making some questionable investments. Aside from lightening our wallets, feelings of inferiority can also lead us to gain weight. Marketing professor David Dubois states that when people feel unimportant, they are more likely to opt for an extra large coffee or pizza. Consumers make this choice because they want to consume more when they are feeling low. Accordingly, the researchers conclude that big things may signal higher status, and thus powerless people buy more food if it comes in physically larger packages.