Abstract
Large portion sizes have been identified as contributing to overweight and obesity, particularly in children and adolescents. This study examined predictors of portion sizes of high energy snack foods eaten by children aged 1.5–18 years. Specifically, we examined whether portion sizes were adjusted for age, and what external features of the environment might be linked to large portion sizes. Portion sizes were derived from four-day food diaries that form the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Diaries from 5942 children were examined and multilevel models were used to discover whether age, gender, location, time of day, household income, and watching TV while eating predicted portion sizes of savoury snacks, chocolate, confectionery and biscuits. Portion sizes of all the target foods were predicted by age. Boys had larger portions, and portion sizes were larger when target foods were consumed later in the day. Portion sizes were larger outside the home, for example in leisure venues, but the target foods were eaten more frequently in the home. As dietary patterns change to include more snack intake outside the home, these locations could be an important space to target for interventions for portion control.
Highlights
The World Health Organization has proposed that limiting portion sizes to reduce overall energy intake could lead to a reduced risk of unhealthy weight gain [1]
Large portion sizes of beverages, meals and snacks were identified as a potential determinant of excess intake, in turn contributing to overweight and obesity
Portion sizes of high energy dense foods (HED) have increased across Westernized nations [2,3,4,5]; and this may set the social norms for portion sizes of these foods
Summary
The World Health Organization has proposed that limiting portion sizes to reduce overall energy intake could lead to a reduced risk of unhealthy weight gain [1]. Since early diet and eating patterns in childhood are known to shape eating habits in later life [6], it is imperative to understand what portion sizes are offered to children as they navigate the external food environment. The portion size effect (PSE), whereby intake is increased by offering large portions, has been demonstrated in a number of laboratory-based experiments [7,8]. In these studies, large portion sizes of palatable, energy dense foods produce a reliable increase in energy intake compared to small or regular portion sizes in children and adults (see [9] for a review). The PSE is especially strong when portion sizes are large and foods are energy dense, a phenomenon labelled “double trouble” [10]
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