Portion size determines food intake

October 26, 2005 in Nutrition Topics in the News, Weight Management

Portion size determines food intake

The latest research from the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior found that when served larger portions of for an extended period of time, people tend to consume more food over the entire period.

To study the effects of portion size and food consumption, researchers served participants standard portions from a menu that changed daily. In the second part of the study, the same meals were served for 11 days, but all of the portions were increased by 50 percent. Participants were not informed about the change in portion size.  At the end of the study, the subjects consumed an average of 16 percent more calories per day, or an extra 4,500 calories over the 11 days during the second phase of the study.

This latest research suggests that larger portion sizes could be a driving force behind the current obesity epidemic in North America. Other research has shown that since the 1970's portion sizes of restaurant foods and processed products have continued to increase.

All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.