Controlled testing of novel portion control plate produces smaller self-selected portion sizes compared to regular dinner plate.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hughes JW
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5534105 | biostudies-other | 2017
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:BACKGROUND:Reducing the portion sizes of foods available in restaurants and cafeterias is one promising approach to reducing energy intake, but there is little evidence of its impact from randomised studies in field settings. This study aims to i. examine the feasibility and acceptability, and ii. estimate the impact on energy purchased, of reducing portion sizes in worksite cafeterias. METHODS:Nine worksites in England were recruited to reduce by at least 10% the portion sizes of foods available in their cafeterias from targeted categories (main meals, sides, desserts, cakes). In a stepped wedge randomised controlled pilot trial, each site was randomised to a date of implementation, staggered fortnightly, following a baseline period of four weeks. Impact on energy purchased was analysed using generalised linear mixed modelling. We also assessed feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of intervention implementation. RESULTS:Data from six of the nine randomised sites were analysed, with three sites excluded for not providing sufficient data and/or not implementing the intervention. The extent to which the intervention was implemented varied by site, with between 6 and 49% of products altered within targeted categories. Feedback following the intervention suggested it was broadly acceptable to customers and cafeteria staff. For the primary outcome of daily energy (kcal) purchased from intervention categories, there was no statistically significant change when data from all six sites were pooled: percentage change - 8.9% (95% CI: -16.7, - 0.4; p = 0.081). Each of these six sites showed reductions in energy purchased, ranging from - 15.6 to - 0.3%, which were borderline statistically significant at two sites (respective percentage changes (95% CIs): - 15.6% (- 26.7, - 2.8); - 14.0% (- 25.0, - 1.2)). Secondary outcome data are suggestive of a compensatory increase in energy purchased from food categories not targeted by the intervention, with no overall effect observed on energy purchased across all categories. CONCLUSIONS:The results of this pilot trial suggest that reducing portion sizes could be effective in reducing energy purchased and consumed from targeted food categories, and merits investigation in a larger trial. Future studies will need to address factors that prevented optimal implementation including site dropout and application across a limited range of products. TRIAL REGISTRATION:( ISRCTN52923504 ). Registered on 20th September 2016.
| S-EPMC6097301 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Portion sizes of meals have been becoming progressively larger which contributes to the onset of obesity. So far, little research has been done on the influence of body weight on portion size preferences. Therefore, we assessed whether Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as other selected factors, contribute to the estimation of food portions weight and the subjective perception of portion sizes. Through online questionnaires, the participants were asked to estimate the weight of pictured foods in the first study. In the second study, the participants indicated how the depicted varying portion sizes of different meals relate to their actual consumed real-life portion sizes. A total of 725 and 436 individuals were included in the statistical analysis in the first and second study, respectively. BMI and gender had a small effect on the capacity to estimate the weight of foods. The main predictor for portion size choices was the factor gender with men estimating ideal portion sizes as larger than women. Further, age and hunger together with external and restrictive eating behaviors were among the deciding factors for portion size choices. As expected, externally motivated eaters chose bigger portions while restrictive individual smaller ones. Gender- and age-related differences in portion size preferences likely reflect distinct energy requirements. The individuals with a higher BMI do not differ strongly from other BMI groups in their portion-related preferences. Therefore, other factors such as meal frequency, snacking, or a lifestyle, may contribute more to the onset, development, and maintenance of overweight.
| S-EPMC9130823 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInaccurate self-report of portion sizes is a major cause of measurement error in dietary assessment. To reduce this error, different portion size estimation aids (PSEAs) have been developed, including food images (image based, IB-PSE) and textual descriptions of portion sizes (text-based, TB-PSE). We assessed the accuracy of portion size estimation by IB-PSE and TB-PSE.MethodsTrue intake of one lunch was ascertained in forty participants. Self-reported portion sizes were assessed after 2 and 24 hours by means of TB-PSE and IB-PSE, in random order. Wilcoxon's tests were used to compare mean true intakes to reported intakes. Moreover, proportions of reported portion sizes within 10% and 25% of true intake were assessed. An adapted Bland-Altman approach was used to assess agreement between true and reported portion sizes. Analyses were conducted for all foods and drinks combined and for predetermined food types.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between reported portion sizes at 2 and 24 hours after lunch. Combining median relative errors of all foods items resulted in an overall 0% error rate for TB-PSE and 6% error rate for IB-PSE. Comparing reported portion sizes within 10% (31% vs. 13%) and 25% (50% vs. 35%) of the true intake showed a better performance for TB-PSE compared to IP-PSE, respectively. Bland-Altman plots indicated a higher agreement between reported and true intake for TB-PSE compared to IB-PSE.ConclusionsAlthough the use of TB-PSE still results in measurement error, our results suggest a more accurate dietary intake assessment with TB-PSE than IB-PSE.
| S-EPMC9291996 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Portion sizes of commercially available foods have increased, and there is evidence that exposure to portion sizes recalibrates what is perceived as 'normal' and subsequently, how much food is selected and consumed. The present study aims to explore the role of social (descriptive and injunctive) and personal portion size norms in this effect. Across two experiments, participants were either visually exposed to (Study 1, N = 329) or actually served (Study 2, N = 132) a smaller or larger than normal food portion. After 24 h, participants reported their intended consumption (Study 1) or served themselves and consumed (Study 2) a portion of that food and reported perceived portion size norms. In Study 1, visual exposure to portion size did not significantly affect intended consumption and perceived portion size norms. In Study 2, participants consumed a smaller portion of food when they were served a smaller rather than a larger portion the previous day, which was mediated by perceived descriptive and injunctive social (but not personal) portion size norms. Results suggest that being served (but not mere visual exposure to) smaller (relative to larger) portions changes perceived social norms about portion size and this may reduce future consumption of that food.
| S-EPMC6949930 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Caregivers are mostly responsible for the foods young children consume; however, it is unknown how caregivers determine what portion sizes to serve. This study examined factors which predict smaller or larger than recommended snack portion sizes in an online survey. Caregivers of children aged 2 to 4 years were presented with 10 snack images, each photographed in six portion sizes. Caregivers (n = 659) selected the portion they would usually serve themselves and their child for an afternoon snack. Information on child eating traits, parental feeding practices and demographics were provided by caregivers. Most caregivers selected portions in line with recommended amounts for preschool children, demonstrating their ability to match portion sizes to their child's energy requirements. However, 16% of caregivers selected smaller than recommended low energy-dense (LED, e.g., fruits and vegetables) snacks for their child which was associated with smaller caregiver's own portion size, reduced child food liking and increased satiety responsiveness. In contrast, 28% of caregivers selected larger than recommended amounts of high energy-dense (HED, e.g., cookies, crisps) snacks for their child which were associated with larger caregiver's own portion size, greater frequency of consumption, higher child body mass index (BMI), greater pressure to eat and lower child food liking. These findings suggest that most caregivers in this study select portions adjusted to suit their child's age and stage of development. Future interventions could provide support to caregivers regarding the energy and nutrient density of foods given the relatively small portion sizes of LED and large portions of HED snacks offered to some children.
| S-EPMC6950396 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The spatial distribution of organisms often differs across scales. For instance, colonial bird populations could be described, from large to small scale, as scattered clumps of otherwise regularly distributed breeding pairs. We analysed the distribution of nests of a large colonial population of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and found a fractal pattern in each of the 4 study years. Moreover, we found that the often-observed, long-tailed frequency distribution of colony sizes was well described by a power law, regardless of the cut-off used to define colonies (from 16 to 1024 m). Thus, although storks were locally highly clumped even with tens of nests in a single tree, the population was not structured in colonies (a simple clustered distribution) as previously thought. Rather, they were distributed in a continuous hierarchical set of clusters within clusters across scales, clusters lacking the commonly assumed characteristic mean size. These quantitative solutions to previously perceived scaling problems will potentially improve our understanding of the ecology and evolution of bird coloniality and animal spacing patterns and group living in general.
| S-EPMC2274970 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reductions in animal body size over recent decades are often interpreted as an adaptive evolutionary response to climate warming. However, for reductions in size to reflect adaptive evolution, directional selection on body size within populations must have become negative, or where already negative, to have become more so, as temperatures increased. To test this hypothesis, we performed traditional and phylogenetic meta-analyses of the association between annual estimates of directional selection on body size from wild populations and annual mean temperatures from 39 longitudinal studies. We found no evidence that warmer environments were associated with selection for smaller size. Instead, selection consistently favoured larger individuals, and was invariant to temperature. These patterns were similar in ectotherms and endotherms. An analysis using year rather than temperature revealed similar patterns, suggesting no evidence that selection has changed over time, and also indicating that the lack of association with annual temperature was not an artefact of choosing an erroneous time window for aggregating the temperature data. Although phenotypic trends in size will be driven by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, our results suggest little evidence for a necessary ingredient-negative directional selection-for declines in body size to be considered an adaptive evolutionary response to changing selection pressures.
| S-EPMC6661357 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundObesity is a leading preventable cause of death and disability and is associated with a lower health-related quality of life. We evaluated the impact of telecoaching conducted by a counselor trained in motivational interviewing paired with a portion control plate for obese patients in a primary care setting.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, clinical trial among patients in a primary care practice in the midwestern United States. Patients were randomized to either usual care or an intervention including telecoaching with a portion control plate. The intervention was provided during a 3-month period with follow-up of all patients through 6 months after randomization. The primary outcomes were weight, body mass index (BMI),waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio measured at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included measures assessing eating behaviors, self-efficacy, and physical activity at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks.ResultsA total of 1,101 subjects were pre-screened, and 90 were randomly assigned to telecoaching plus portion control plate (n = 45) or usual care (n = 45). Using last-value carried forward without adjustment for baseline demographics, significant reductions in BMI (estimated treatment effect -0.4 kg/m(2), P = .038) and waist to hip ratio (estimated treatment effect -.02, P = .037) at 3 months were observed in the telecoaching plus portion control plate group compared to usual care. These differences were not statistically significant at 6 months. In females, the telecoaching plus portion control plate intervention was associated with significant reductions in weight and BMI at both 3 months (estimated treatment effect -1.6 kg, P = .016 and -0.6 kg/m(2), P = .020) and 6 months (estimated treatment effect -2.3 kg, P = .013 and -0.8 kg/m(2), P = .025). In males, the telecoaching plus portion control intervention was associated with a significant reduction in waist to hip ratio at 3 months (estimated treatment effect -0.04, P = .017), but failed to show a significant difference in weight and BMI.ConclusionTelecoaching with a portion control plate can produce positive change in body habitus among obese primary care patients; however, changes depend upon sex.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02373878, 13 February 2015. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02373878.
| S-EPMC4518583 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Evidence confirms that parents know that they should limit non-core foods for their children since these tend to be high in energy density (HED), fat, salt and sugar. However, it is unclear how knowledge of portion size limits, such as the 100 kcal guide from Public Health England are applied in practice. To observe in real-time children's home food environment related to portion control and to explore with parents their reported portion size strategies, a mixed methods study was designed. Families with children aged 1-5 years were recruited (n = 21) to a three-part study: (1) to complete questionnaires and interviews on household food intake and portion control; (2) to report daily food intake for 4 days (n = 13) for one parent and their child(ren); (3) to observe home-based food provisioning via videorecording during dinner, breakfast and snack time (n = 6). Although the problem of large portion sizes of HED foods was recognised by mothers, strategies to downsize portions were not necessarily applied at home, as revealed in home observations and diaries. A mismatch between what was observed at home, what was reported in food diaries and what was said in interviews became apparent for some families. Mothers reported the need for greater support and guidance to downsize HED foods since they relied on pre-packaging as a guide to intake. Education and engagement were identified as important parameters for downsizing by mothers. One strategy which could be explored and applied by manufacturers is packaging design to faciliate the 100 kcal guidance using physical and engaging ways to assist parents in downsizing HED foods for their children. To facilitate effective government communication, innovative packaging design can be used to convey clear guidance and to tailor portion size messages for children. Packaging design, alongside government recommendations, can support parents' goals to achieve healthy eating and can reinforce guidance for portion norms through innovation involving learning, playful engagement, and interaction.
| S-EPMC9575649 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Primate groups vary considerably in size across species. Nonetheless, the distribution of mean species group size has a regular scaling pattern with preferred sizes approximating 2.5, 5, 15, 30 and 50 individuals (although strepsirrhines lack the latter two), with a scaling ratio of approximately 2.5 similar to that observed in human social networks. These clusters appear to form distinct social grades that are associated with rapid evolutionary change, presumably in response to intense environmental selection pressures. These findings may have wider implications for other highly social mammal taxa.
| S-EPMC5803586 | biostudies-literature