Abstract
Manipulating food properties and serving environment during a meal can significantly change food intake at group level. However, the evaluation of the usefulness of such manipulations requires an understanding of individual behavioural changes. Three studies were conducted to explore the effect of unit size and meal occasion on eating behaviour characteristics (food intake, meal duration, number of bites and chews). All studies used a randomised crossover design, with a one-week wash-out period, starting with a familiarisation meal, with the participation of healthy, normal weight females between the ages of 18–35 years. In Study 1 (n = 19) three cube sizes (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 cm3) of vegetable hash and chicken were compared. In Study 2 (n = 18) mashed potatoes and mincemeat were compared to whole potatoes and meatballs. In Study 3 (n = 29) meals served at lunch time (11:00–13:00) were compared to identical meals served at dinner time (17:00–19:00). The largest food unit size lead to significantly increased meal duration in Study 2 (mean difference 0.9 min, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.0–1.8), but not in Study 1 (mean difference 1 min, 95% CI 0.1–2.0). There was a significant increase in number of chews in the large unit size condition of both Study 1 (mean difference 88, 95% CI 12–158) and Study 2 (mean difference 95, 95% CI 12–179). Different serving occasions did not significantly change any of the eating behaviours measured. Except for number of bites in Study 2 (R2 = 0.60), most individuals maintained their eating behaviour relative to the group across unit sizes and serving occasions conditions (R2 > 0.75), which suggests single meal testing can provide information about the behavioural characteristics of individual eating styles under different conditions.
Highlights
The food intake of humans appears in bursts at discrete time points called meals
The current study examined the behavioural responses of individuals, belonging to a homogenous participant group, when the served food unit size and the time point of the meal serving
We hypothesized that eating behaviour characteristics may be altered as a result of changes in food unit size and serving occasion, individuals will maintain their eating behaviour characteristics relative to the group, pointing towards the existence of individual eating styles
Summary
The food intake of humans appears in bursts at discrete time points called meals. Food intake of single meals is the aggregate of a complex array of eating behaviours, such as bites, chews and pauses [1]. Existing studies point towards the different eating characteristics between lean and obese [4], male and female [5] and linear and decelerated groups [6]. Other studies use self-reported characteristics (e.g., restrained eating [7]) as grouping parameters, studying the eating behaviour response of these groups to a wide variety of food related cues (e.g., pre-loads [8], stress response [9] and perceived healthiness of the food [10], etc.). Focus on individual responses to experimental meal manipulations, often ignoring one of the most important outcomes of such research [11], especially when the study outcomes are considered important for the design of future behavioural interventions [12]
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