Intake Promoting Effects of Large Portions in Children
Condition: Eating
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to test the effects of large food portions on children's eating.
      Experiment 1 will test the effect of portion size on children's consumption of sweetened
      beverages; we hypothesize that serving large beverage portions will increase the amount of
      energy children consume from this food. Experiment 2 will test the effects of portion size on
      children's intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) affect intake whether such effects are
      moderated by children's FV preferences and; we hypothesize that serving large fruit and
      vegetable portions will produce increases in children's intake of these foods, particularly
      for children who like fruit and vegetables. Experiment 3 will evaluate how food energy
      density affects children's response to large portions; we hypothesize that large portions
      will have the greatest influence on children's energy consumption when foods are energy
      dense. Experiment 4 will begin to address perceptual mechanisms by which large portions
      affect children's eating.
    

Detailed description: 
      The emerging epidemic of overweight among underscores the need to identify contributing
      environmental factors. Marketplace trends for excessive and growing portion sizes in and
      outside the home have reinforced concerns that large portions may directly contribute by
      promoting excessive intake. To date, however, systematic investigation of portion size
      effects on children's eating has been extremely limited. Two laboratory studies have reported
      that serving large portions of macaroni and cheese to young children promoted energy
      consumption at meals. Whether portion size effects would be seen with other foods of varying
      energy content and preference is unknown. Of particular public health interest is whether
      serving large portions may affect children's intake of sweetened beverages, fruits and
      vegetables, and energy dense foods. This study will address these questions using an
      experimental approach to test the effects of portion size on children's eating.
    

Intervention name(s): Food portion size
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Each of four experiments involves a 2 x 2 within-subjects factorial design, in which the first factor is the portion size of a food served to children: foods will be served in a reference amount (i.e. 250 g macaroni and cheese) or doubled in size(i.e. 500 g of macaroni and cheese). In the Experiment 1, the second factor of the 2 x 2 design is meal type: whether the food is consumed at a meal or a snack. In experiment #2, the second factor is food type: fruit vs. vegetable. In experiment #3, the second factor is entree energy density: a regular energy density or a 40% greater energy density. In experiment #4, the second factor is plate size: a 6 inch plate vs. a 10 inch plate.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Eating Behavior; Children; Portion size; Experimental