Calorie Estimation Research Articles

Monitoring Daily Function in Persons With Transfemoral Amputations Using a Commercial Activity Monitor: A Feasibility Study

To assess in a feasibility study the mobility of persons with transfemoral amputations using data collected from a popular, consumer-oriented activity monitor (Fitbit). Observational cohort study. Research hospital outpatient evaluation. Nine subjects with transfemoral amputations (4 women and 5 men, ages 21-64 years) and Medicare functional assessments (K level) of K3 (n= 7), K2 (n= 1), and K4 (n= 1). One-week monitoring of physical activity using the Fitbit One activity monitor. Daily estimates of step counts, distance walked, floors/stairs climbed, calories burned, and proprietary Fitbit activity scores. For each day, the amount of time in each of the following levels of activity was also reported: sedentary, lightly active, fairly active, and highly active. The percentage of movement time above the fairly active level had a predictable relationship to the designated K level. The average activity measures show decreased levels of activity for obese subjects (body mass index >30). Estimated step counts were highly predictive/redundant with estimated miles walked without setting individual stride lengths. Using linear regression prediction models, calorie estimates were found to be highly dependent on subject age, height, and weight, whereas the proprietary activity score was independent of all 3 demographic factors. This feasibility study demonstrates that the Fitbit activity monitor estimates the activity of subjects with transfemoral amputations, producing results that correlate with their K-level functional activity classifications. The Fitbit activity score is independent of individual variations in age, weight, and height compared with estimated calories for this small sample size. These tools may provide useful insights into prosthetic use in an at-home environment.

Body Image Does Not Predict Caloric Estimation Accuracy

This study characterized the accuracy of estimating calories of prepared, healthy meals, with the specific hypothesis that individuals with greater body dissatisfaction will overestimate calorie content. Ninety-eight individuals estimated the number of calories in 4 separate healthy meals. Differences in the bias of caloric estimation were determined in relation to sex, body mass index, body fat percentage, and body image dissatisfaction. Subjects, regardless of sex, weight status, and body image, tended to overestimate the number of calories in prepared, healthy meals. Quantifying portion size makes the task of caloric estimation in prepared meals more difficult and should be addressed to enhance accuracy.

Validation of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire developed to under graduate students.

A validity test of a Food Frequency Questionnaire was carried out using 50 students of health occupation in São Paulo, Brazil. Therefore, a three day dietary record was used as reference method and variables such as energy, macronutrients and dietary fiber were analyzed. The accordance between the Food Frequency Questionnaire and average data from dietary record was tested with kappa statistics and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Limits of agreement were estimated by the Bland-Altman's method. Better results were found for calories (ICC 0.43; 95%CI 0.17 - 0.63) and non-energy-adjusted nutrients, except dietary fiber (ICC 0.34; 95%CI 0.07 - 0.56). The percentage of individuals classified in the same category of consumption was nearly half (49.8%), while only 16% of them were classified in opposite categories. With the exception of lipids, other analyzed variables tended to be overestimated by the Food Frequency Questionnaire. The Food Frequency Questionnaire is recommended as a method of assessing food intake of university students in studies which focus on calorie estimates and also intend to classify groups into intake categories.

Underestimating calorie content when healthy foods are present: an averaging effect or a reference-dependent anchoring effect?

ObjectivePrevious studies have shown that estimations of the calorie content of an unhealthy main meal food tend to be lower when the food is shown alongside a healthy item (e.g. fruit or vegetables) than when shown alone. This effect has been called the negative calorie illusion and has been attributed to averaging the unhealthy (vice) and healthy (virtue) foods leading to increased perceived healthiness and reduced calorie estimates. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these findings to test the hypothesized mediating effect of ratings of healthiness of foods on calorie estimates.MethodsIn three online studies, participants were invited to make calorie estimates of combinations of foods. Healthiness ratings of the food were also assessed.ResultsThe first two studies failed to replicate the negative calorie illusion. In a final study, the use of a reference food, closely following a procedure from a previously published study, did elicit a negative calorie illusion. No evidence was found for a mediating role of healthiness estimates.ConclusionThe negative calorie illusion appears to be a function of the contrast between a food being judged and a reference, supporting the hypothesis that the negative calorie illusion arises from the use of a reference-dependent anchoring and adjustment heuristic and not from an ‘averaging’ effect, as initially proposed. This finding is consistent with existing data on sequential calorie estimates, and highlights a significant impact of the order in which foods are viewed on how foods are evaluated.

The effect of food toppings on calorie estimation and consumption

In this research we examine the effect of adding a food topping to the base food on consumers' calorie estimation and consumption of the augmented food (base food plus topping). We show that consumers underestimate the calorie content of augmented food with an unhealthy base, especially when the topping is healthy. However, consumers are less likely to underestimate the calorie content of augmented food with a healthy base, regardless of whether the topping is healthy or unhealthy. Further, we show that adding a healthy topping to an unhealthy base makes consumers not only underestimate the calorie content but also eat more of the augmented food.

Calorie estimation accuracy and menu labeling perceptions among individuals with and without binge eating and/or purging disorders

Menu labeling is a public health policy that requires chain restaurants in the USA to post kilocalorie information on their menus to help consumers make informed choices. However, there is concern that such a policy might promote disordered eating. This web-based study compared individuals with self-reported binge eating disorder (N = 52), bulimia nervosa (N = 25), and purging disorder (N = 17) and those without eating disorders (No ED) (N = 277) on restaurant calorie information knowledge and perceptions of menu labeling legislation. On average, people answered 1.46 ± 1.08 questions correctly (out of 6) (25%) on a calorie information quiz and 92% of the sample was in favor of menu labeling. The findings did not differ based on eating disorder, dieting, or weight status, or race/ethnicity. The results indicated that people have difficulty estimating the calories in restaurant meals and individuals with and without eating disorders are largely in favor of menu labeling laws.

Is less always more? The effects of low-fat labeling and caloric information on food intake, calorie estimates, taste preference, and health attributions

The present study examined whether low-fat labeling and caloric information affect food intake, calorie estimates, taste preference, and health perceptions. Participants included 175 female undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. A 2×2 between subjects factorial design was used in which the fat content label and caloric information of chocolate candy was manipulated. The differences in food intake across conditions did not reach statistical significance. However, participants significantly underestimated the calorie content of low-fat-labeled candy. Participants also rated low-fat-labeled candy as significantly better tasting when they had caloric information available. Participants endorsed more positive health attributions for low-fat-labeled candy than for regular-labeled candy, independent of caloric information. The inclusion of eating attitudes and behaviors as covariates did not alter the results. The study findings may be related to the “health halo” associated with low-fat foods and add to the research base by examining the interaction between low-fat and calorie labeling.

You taste what you see: Do organic labels bias taste perceptions?

Does simply believing that a processed food is organic improve how enjoyable it tastes, influence caloric estimations, or increase how much people are willing to pay for the item? In the present study, 115 participants recruited from a local shopping mall were asked to taste and evaluate three paired food samples (i.e., cookies, potato chips, and yogurt). Each of those food samples was labeled, specifying one of the items in the pair as ‘organic’ and the other label specifying its counterpart as ‘regular’, although they were identical and organically produced. Results found that participants estimated those foods with organic labels to be lower in calories than those without the organic label. Furthermore, foods with the organic label elicited a higher willingness-to-pay and yielded better nutritional evaluations (e.g., tastes lower in fat, higher in fiber) than foods without the organic label. Finally, results found that the effects of the organic label on caloric estimations were less pronounced among people who typically read nutritional labels, who often buy organic foods, and who often engage in pro-environmental activities. This underscores the idea that the health halo effect is primarily driven by automatic processing based on heuristics. Understanding how consumers use nutritional information on product labels has important implications for both public policy as well as processed food manufacturers who use such claims as tools to market their products.

Quantifying Accurate Calorie Estimation Using the “Think Aloud” Method

Clients often have limited time in a nutrition education setting. An improved understanding of the strategies used to accurately estimate calories may help to identify areas of focused instruction to improve nutrition knowledge. A "Think Aloud" exercise was recorded during the estimation of calories in a standard dinner meal (415 kcal) in 15 nutrition-trained and 15 untrained subjects. Accuracy of participant estimation was assessed, and estimation strategies were compared in accurate vs inaccurate estimators. Accurate participants were more likely to demonstrate an ability to convert between common portion size measurements and serving sizes, possess some knowledge of energy density, and properly implement basic math skills. The "Think Aloud" methodology was informative in assessing the cognitive processes behind a nutrition exercise, and further use is warranted. Focused instruction in portion size conversion, energy density, and the use of math skills may enhance calorie estimation accuracy.

The elusive negative calorie illusion: replicating Chernev’s calorie estimate findings

In a set of intriguing studies, Chernev and colleagues show that participants will estimate a vice food (e.g. cheeseburger) when paired with a virtue food (e.g. celery sticks) to have fewer calories than the vice food alone. This is counter to the real calorific content of the foods, but it is also worrying as including token quantities of virtue foods in a prevalent feature of the presentation of many HFSS foods. If this negative calorie illusion is a robust effect, it may have adverse effects on food purchasing and consumption. In a number of studies, we have sought to replicate this finding, whilst also collecting more conventional measures of the target food: estimates of expected satiety, of health attributes, of liking and of wanting, to better understand the nature of these calorie estimates. Firstly we have observed that calorie estimates are a problematic measure, showing a high variance distribution with a strong positive skew. A number of strategies are suggested to overcome this issue. Secondly, we have found that the negative calorie illusion is not a robust finding, having replicated it in one but not a second identical experiment. It may arise from contrast effects following the use of an anchor to reduce variance resulting from people’s lack of calorie-content knowledge, a hypothesis tested in a third experiment. Finally calorie estimates do not covary with any of our other measures, and can therefore be considered a useful additional measure of the properties of a food item.

Exploring the Use of an iPhone App: A Novel Approach to Dietary Assessment

Recent advancements in smartphone technology have provided new methods of dietary assessment. An iTunes application (app) called Meal Snap lets users take pictures of the meal they eat, and then estimates the calories of the food items eaten. We conducted a pilot study to explore the user-friendliness and calorie estimation functions of the Meal Snap app. Two female nutrition graduate students pilot-tested the Meal Snap app. Using the app, each student took pictures of foods and drinks consumed daily for two weeks. The data were analyzed using the Nutritionist Pro software, version 4.4.0. The mean daily caloric intake obtained from the Meal Snap was then compared with that of Nutritionist Pro. Paired samples t-tests and correlations were carried out using SPSS, version 19. Results indicated there was no significant difference in mean daily caloric consumption between Meal Snap and Nutritionist Pro (p= 0.706). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between Meal Snap and Nutritionist Pro calorie counts (Spearman r= 0.625, p< 0.001). It took about 35 minutes per week (or 5 minutes/day) to snap pictures and edit descriptions, whereas entering data for calorie analysis with Nutritionist Pro took about 85-90 minutes per week (about 13 minutes/day). Findings suggest that Meal Snap may be a user-friendly tool to estimate dietary intake. Future research should include a larger sample and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, dietary habits and age groups. DOI : 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-14-566 Corresponding Author: Ming-Chin, Yeh, PhD. Associate Professor. CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College. 2180 Third Ave, New York, NY 10035. Phone: 212-396-7776 [1], Fax: 212-396-7644 [2]. myeh@hunter.cuny.edu

Quality Characteristics of Chicken Emulsion Sausages with Different Levels of Makgeolli Lees Fiber

Makgeolli lees is a by-product of the makgeolli brew processing. Makgeolli lees contains high levels of fibers, which can be separated and used to develop foods rich in dietary fibers. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of makgeolli fibers (0-4%) on proximate composition, caloric content, pH, color, cooking yield, textural profile, and sensory characteristics of chicken-emulsion sausages. The moisture content of 1, 2, and 3% makgeolli lees fiber-amended product was higher than the control, while that of the 4% product was not. Total calorie estimates of makgeolli lees fiber-amended sausages were lower than the control, except for in the case of the 4% treatment. Moreover, chicken sausages supplemented with makgeolli lees fiber had higher cooking yields and improved textural properties. Chicken emulsion sausages prepared with makgeolli lees fiber had improved overall acceptability, and the best results of sensory characteristics were obtained for the emulsion sausages containing 2% makgeolli lees fiber.

Just thinking about exercise makes me serve more food. Physical activity and calorie compensation

Based on the findings demonstrating compensation between mental effort and subsequent food consumption, this article focuses on the compensatory mechanism between thinking about physical activity and food intake. Results from a field experiment indicate that simply reading about physical activity leads participants to compensate by serving themselves more snacks. The amount of snacks served was mediated by biased calorie estimation. Additionally, we also manipulated the way physical activity was perceived (as tiring exercise or as a fun activity). Although results suggest extra consumption when exercise is perceived as tiring, differences were not statistically significant.

Weighing in on Fast Food Consumption: The Effects of Meal and Calorie Disclosures on Consumer Fast Food Evaluations

An analysis of consumers' Weblogs and two experiments address: (1) the differences in evaluations of menu items when consumers are versus are not provided with meal calorie information, and (2) their perception of calorie levels of different types of meals. Consumers provided their calorie estimates for specific meals offered by four different fast food restaurants, and an experiment assessed effects on consumer evaluations for calorie disclosures for actual items from two of these restaurants. Results show the complex relationship between consumer perceptions regarding the restaurants, the meals and the food items that can influence consumers' calorie estimates and evaluations of meals in restaurants.

Weight gain and work comp: A growing problem in the workers' compensation rehabilitation system

Obesity has become a major public health concern in the United States, and has ultimately affected occupational health, including Workers' Compensation. Obesity has been determined to contribute to work-related injury. This analysis examined weight change post-injury during the Workers' compensation rehabilitation process, and specifically how it relates to perceived mental health need, perceived dietary habits, food stamp usage, and the amount of time since the work injury. Archival data analysis was conducted examining Workers' Compensation claimants over a four year period. Data was collected from 1,864 valid Workers' Compensation claims and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a backwards elimination multiple regression analysis to examine predictive relationships between the variables of interest. Approximately 2/3 of the sample reported weight gain post-injury, with the additional 1/3 reporting weight loss or no change. Both perceived benefit from mental health services and perceived healthy dietary habits were significantly predictive of weight gain. Clinical psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, may be contributory factors to weight gain, and poor perceptions in food quality and caloric estimations may also relate to this problem. Suggestions for future research, including intervention studies, are also included.

Food for thought. What you eat depends on your sex and eating companions

In a naturalistic study, we investigated the influence of gender, group size and gender composition of groups of eaters on food selected for lunch and dinner (converted to total calories per meal) of 469 individuals (198 groups) in three large university cafeterias. In dyads, women observed eating with a male companion chose foods of significantly lower caloric value than those observed eating with another woman. Overall, group size was not a significant predictor of calories, but women's calories were negatively predicted by numbers of men in the group, while the numbers of women in the group had a marginally significant positive impact on calorie estimates. Men's calorie totals were not affected by total numbers of men or women. This study supports previous investigations, but is unique in making naturalistic observations.

Influence of differing types and formats of menu labeling

ObjectiveNutrition labeling on restaurant menus is now required in some locations. This research investigated the influence of type and format of menu nutrition labeling on consumers' ability to estimate calories and their intended purchases.MethodsYoung adults (N=464) were surveyed using one of six different menus. Menu versions included control, calories only, guideline daily amount system, better for you symbol, index value, and a traffic light system.ResultsOverall, menus with nutrition information analyzed by three calorie groupings were related to fewer calories ordered (1346 vs. 1569 calories ordered) and improved ability to estimate caloric values (586 vs. 821 calories estimation error), x2 (2, 442) = 11.11, p &lt; 0.01 and x2 (35, 442) = 62.27, p&lt; 0.01, respectively. The guideline daily amount system had the largest decrease in calories ordered (1003 calories ordered). The calories only menu had the smallest error between actual calories ordered and ability to identify calories ordered (237 calorie estimation error). Females were more likely than males to decrease calories ordered when nutrition information was present x2 (2, 442) = 8.88, p &lt;0.05.ConclusionsResearch on the influence of type and format of nutrition information on menus with other populations is needed. Results of this and future research needs to be considered when developing menu labeling policies.

Actual Burn Nutrition Care Practices: An Update

In 1989, Williamson published a survey of nutrition care practices in burn centers. Nutrition practices have evolved since then; we conducted a study to determine the current scope of nutrition care in burn centers. With IRB approval, a 64 question survey was emailed to 103 burn centers listed in the Burn Care Resources in North America. Follow-up emails were sent to those who did not respond within 2 weeks. Sixty-five centers (63%) responded and included 66% of currently verified burn centers. Due to incomplete surveys, most questions had 45 to 50 responses. The centers averaged 246 annual admissions and all admitted non-burn patients. Eighty percent of dietitians had >5 years burn experience (vs 17% in 1989) and 90% also worked in other intensive care settings. Most dietitians reported advanced training or education (83%). Nutrition assessment, support and monitoring methods have changed though most centers continue to use serum proteins for assessment. Indirect calorimetry use has increased with most centers (78%) adding a 'stress factor' of 10 to 30% above measured energy needs. More centers provided specialized formulas including high-protein (82 vs 8.8%) and immune-enhancing (53 vs 12.3%) than in 1989. All gave a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements. Anabolic steroid and glutamine use was common (92 and 69%). Eighty percent of centers used glucose protocols with 54% having a goal of <or=120 mg/dl; another 42% used 121 to 150 mg/dl as a target. Burn dietitians reported more experience than previously documented but continued to work in other intensive care unit areas. The use of calorimetry and glucose control protocols increased in the past 20 years as did the use of anabolic steroids and supplements. Variability continued in assessment (particularly calorie estimates) and monitoring methods.

Spurious consensus and opinion revision: Why might people be more confident in their less accurate judgments?

In the interest of improving their decision making, individuals revise their opinions on the basis of samples of opinions obtained from others. However, such a revision process may lead decision makers to experience greater confidence in their less accurate judgments. The authors theorize that people tend to underestimate the informative value of independently drawn opinions, if these appear to conflict with one another, yet place some confidence even in the spurious consensus, which may arise when opinions are sampled interdependently. The experimental task involved people's revision of their opinions (caloric estimates of foods) on the basis of advice. The method of sampling the advisory opinions (independent or interdependent) was the main factor. The results reveal a dissociation between confidence and accuracy. A theoretical underlying mechanism is suggested whereby people attend to consensus (consistency) cues at the expense of information on interdependence. Implications for belief updating and for individual and group decisions are discussed.

Caloric Estimation Bias of Realistic Meal and Beverage Preparations

This study was undertaken to characterize caloric estimation bias in realistic meal and beverage preparations of varied size and nutritional value. Differences in the estimation bias of meals and beverages were determined in relation to sex and weight status (body mass index and percent body fat). In general, most subjects were inaccurate in caloric estimation. Subjects were more accurate when estimating larger versus smaller, and unhealthy versus healthy realistic, home-style food items. Accurate prediction of solid foods was not related to accurate beverage prediction. In addition to the size of food items, the healthfulness and form of calories are predictors of caloric estimation accuracy.