Abstract
BackgroundPortion size of foods is reported to contribute to the rise in obesity prevalence. However, evidence of changes in portion size for commonly consumed foods in Australia is lacking. The aim was to evaluate whether Australian child and adolescent portion sizes of selected foods changed from 1995 to 2007.MethodsTime-series study, comparing dietary data from two national cross-sectional surveys in nationally representative population survey of Australian households. The dietary data was from children aged 2–16 years who participated in the 1995 National Nutrition Survey (n = 2198) and 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (n = 4799).ResultsDifferences were found across survey years in median portion size of common foods and beverages assessed by 24-hour recalls for age and sex categories. Of the 61 foods items evaluated across the whole population sample, portion size increased in 18 items, decreased in 22, with no change in 20, although the magnitude of change varied by age and sex. Decreases in portion size were detected for most dairy products, breakfast cereal, some packaged snack foods and vegetables, p < 0.0001. Increases were detected for cooked chicken, mixed chicken dishes, bacon and ham (p < 0.0001), cooked meat (p < 0.05), fish (p < 0.01) and pizza (p < 0.0001). No significant changes were detected for many items including white and wholemeal bread, mincemeat, chocolate and soft drink.ConclusionsSmall changes in portion sizes were detected over 12 years in Australian children and adolescents with the degree of change varying by sex, age and food group. Knowledge of usual portion sizes could inform programs targeting appropriate serving sizes selection in children and adolescents.
Highlights
Portion size of foods is reported to contribute to the rise in obesity prevalence
The aim of the current study is to establish whether Australian children’s (2–16 years) portion size of selected foods changed over the 12 year period from 1995 and 2007
1995 national nutrition survey The Nutrition Survey (NNS) was conducted in a systematic sub-sample of participants from the 1995 National Health Survey [27]
Summary
Portion size of foods is reported to contribute to the rise in obesity prevalence. Evidence of changes in portion size for commonly consumed foods in Australia is lacking. Young and Nestle presented the hypothesis that increases in portion size of common foods that occurred over a prolonged period of time contributed to the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in the USA [13]. Evidence supports the theory that increases in portion size increase overall energy intake [14,15,16,17,18], which in turn can influence weight status of individuals. Wansink et al have explored the role that portion size has on energy intake, influencing consumption norms and reducing an individual’s reliance on self-monitoring [20]. Despite energy intake significantly increasing, adults remained unaware that they had consumed more soup [20] or popcorn [21], and were not more satiated than those who consumed a smaller portion
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