Study shows portion size does make you eat more

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jul 19th 2006 @ 9:02AM

The more food that is put in front of you, the better the odds are that you will overeat or, at least, eat more than you might otherwise. Generally, this is common knowledge, but some researchers put it to the test by giving people both good and bad tasting foods. Specifically, while one group of participants got varying sizes of freshly popped popcorn, another group was given 2-week old stale popcorn (described as "perfectly safe, just a bit funky"). The results proved the theory, when fresh popcorn eaters ate 43% more popcorn when it was served in a large container and stale popcorn eaters ate 34% more.

If the taste of a food isn't enough to stop people from eating it, it's best to control the size of the container that it's in. So do yourself a favor and use smaller plates and bowls, especially for snacking. Or fill up a bowl with healthy fruits and veggies for munching.

Exact portion size can be difficult to determine without measuring (which is an option), but there's too much variation in all those guidelines that compare portion sizes to, for example, the size of a fist. When in doubt, just take a little less that you think you should. At the very least, you'll be eating one less bite at a time - and over time, even a small change like will add up.

Source

Filed Under: Science, Super Size Me, Health & Medical
Tags: binge, diet, over eat, over-eating, overeat, overeating, popcorn, portion size, stale popcorn, study, super size me

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-19-2006 @9:53AM Rhea said... It's true! In fact, a book called "Fatland: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World" by Greg Critser discusses this idea.
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7-19-2006 @10:02AM Esther said... Very true! If you see the current trends of upscale dining retaurants then you will find that they have controlled the portion of appetizers and also main entrees.

Portion control will enable diners to eat lesser calories and share their food.
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7-19-2006 @10:19AM Tulio said... I usually eat everything given to me. I was taught not to wast food. Who wants to throw away half a meal?

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7-28-2006 @5:22PM Daze said... I used to eat everything that was given to me, and I grew up feeling extremely guilty if I threw anything in the garbage (there's children starving in africa and you want to waste food??) This is the number one reason that I am FAT today and have been fighting to lose weight and regain my health. It's hard to get used to such small portions when you've been trained to overeat from a young age, but it really is the only thing that will help me lose weight and keep it off. Now, I don't think about starving children, if I've had enough, I put the rest in the fridge or throw it away, who says it has to end up on MY hips?
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