Abstract
BackgroundGiven the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity, there is a clear need for meaningful practical healthy eating advice - not only in relation to food choice, but also on appropriate food portion sizes. As the majority of portion size research to date has been overwhelmingly quantitative in design, there is a clear need to qualitatively explore consumers’ views in order to fully understand how food portion size decisions are made. Using qualitative methodology this present study aimed to explore consumers’ views about factors influencing their portion size selection and consumption and to identify barriers to appropriate portion size control.MethodsTen focus groups with four to nine participants in each were formed with a total of 66 persons (aged 19–64 years) living on the island of Ireland. The semi-structured discussions elicited participants’ perceptions of suggested serving size guidance and explored the influence of personal, social and environmental factors on their food portion size consumption. Audiotapes of the discussions were professionally transcribed verbatim, loaded into NVivo 9, and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis procedure.ResultsThe rich descriptive data derived from participants highlight that unhealthy portion size behaviors emanate from various psychological, social and behavioral factors. These bypass reflective and deliberative control, and converge to constitute significant barriers to healthy portion size control. Seven significant barriers to healthy portion size control were apparent: (1) lack of clarity and irrelevance of suggested serving size guidance; (2) guiltless eating; (3) lack of self-control over food cues; (4) distracted eating; (5) social pressures; (6) emotional eating rewards; and (7) quantification habits ingrained from childhood.ConclusionsPortion size control strategies should empower consumers to overcome these effects so that the consumption of appropriate food portion sizes becomes automatic and habitual.
Highlights
Introduction to EducationalResearch, A Critical Thinking Approach
Barriers to the practice of appropriate portion size control Seven key interacting barriers to appropriate portion size control were identified: (1) lack of clarity and irrelevance of suggested serving size guidance; (2) guiltless eating; (3) lack of self-control over food cues; (4) distracted eating; (5) social pressures; (6) emotional eating rewards; and (7) quantification habits ingrained from childhood
Seven barriers emerged from present focus group data to reveal that, while consumers have been exposed to serving size guidance, its usefulness was questioned by the majority, owing to issues regarding its clarity and relevance
Summary
Introduction to EducationalResearch, A Critical Thinking Approach. University of Arkansas at. While large cross-sectional dietary intake surveys have shown increases in food and beverage portions over the last 30 years [3,4], experimental studies have demonstrated the effects of varying food portion size on energy intake In both laboratory and more naturalistic settings (i.e. a cafeteria-style restaurant), increasing the portion size served has been shown to positively influence energy intake at single eating occasions [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12] and over the course of one to 28 days [13,14,15,16,17]. Research implies that consumers have a tendency to eat all that’s served, irrespective of the amount
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