Portion Size Research Articles

Flour Fortification Using Lablab Purpureus Evaluation with a Biosensor.

Due to rapid metabolic and growth rates during the first two years of life, the nutritional needs of young children are high. Given the small portion sizes consumed by children between the ages of 6 and 24 months, it is necessary to improve diets to meet the nutritional needs of this age group. Therefore, the analysis of lysine content is an important parameter in the evaluation of enriched foods. The utilization of an enzymatic sensor employing lysine-α-oxidase (LOx) as a biorecognition element represents an alternative to the existing methods. This sensor was optimized for quantifying the lysine content in flour mixtures: Quinoa-Lablab purpureus rye - Lablab purpureus, and pole beans - Lablab purpureus, with a maximum ratio of 85g/100g. The addition of lablab purpureus significantly increased the lysine concentration in the enriched samples. When 30 percent was substituted in quinoa, it reached a 143 percent increase. And when 15 percent was substituted in the rye flour, the final concentration of this amino acid increased by 64 percent. In order to quantify the lysine concentration, it was necessary to optimize various parameters during the use of the sensor, e.g. a potentiometric signal was detected upon the depletion of oxygen present during the oxidation of lysine in the samples, and the sensor response was recorded at 2 s. This was possible due to the modification of the pH and the thickness of the membrane. The oxidation of lysine is catalyzed by LOx using molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor. The corresponding acidic compounds and hydrogen peroxide were formed in the reaction medium. It was possible to increase and verify the concentration of lysine in all the flours tested through the use of the biosensor, which turned out to be a valid method for controlling the nutritional quality of flours.

Quantitative Measurement of Multiple Elements in Micro‐Quantities of Crude Oil Using In Situ Analysis by Laser Ablation‐ICP‐MS

Multi‐element quantification in small amounts of material and in situ measurements at the micrometre scale are essential aspects of geological sample investigation. A direct and rapid simultaneous multi‐elemental determination of metals in crude oil samples was carried out by combining direct laser ablation of the oil inserted in silica capillaries with inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. The accuracy of LA‐ICP‐MS determination was demonstrated by analysing CONOSTAN reference material oils, certified for multiple elements, and by comparing LA‐ICP‐MS measurement results with those obtained by ICP‐OES using microwave‐assisted sample digestion. The results obtained by both methods were in agreement with certified values. The LA‐ICP‐MS method showed an adequate precision with a mean relative standard deviation of less than 10% for multi‐element determination, and was sufficiently sensitive to determine the majority of elements. LA‐ICP‐MS was also applied to the determination of elements in crude oils of different origins. LA‐ICP‐MS is a good alternative method allowing the determination of elements in organic fluids (oil and bitumen) in shorter times, involving less material consumption, smaller test portion size and with higher throughput compared with protocols using, for instance, sample digestion. It validates the possible application of metal analysis in hydrocarbon‐containing fluid inclusions for metallogenic purposes.

Retailer Responses to Public Consultations on the Adoption of Takeaway Management Zones Around Schools: A Longitudinal Qualitative Analysis

Background: Takeaway food is often high in calories and served in portion sizes that exceed public health recommendations for fat, salt and sugar. This food is widely accessible in the neighbourhood food environment. As of 2019, of all local authorities in England (n=325), 41 had adopted urban planning-based interventions that can allow them to manage the opening of new takeaway outlets in ‘takeaway management zones around schools’ (known elsewhere as ‘exclusion zones’). Before adoption, local authorities undertake mandatory public consultation where responses objecting to proposals can be submitted. Evidence on common objections could be insightful for practitioners and policymakers considering this intervention. Methods: We included 41 local authorities that adopted a takeaway management zone around schools between 2009 and 2019. We identified and analysed objections to proposals submitted by or on behalf of food retailers and local authority responses to these. We used reflexive thematic analysis with a commercial determinants of health lens to generate themes, and investigated if and how objections and responses changed over time. Results: We generated four themes: The role of takeaways in obesity, Takeaway management zone adoption, Use and interpretation of evidence, and Managing external opinions. Despite not being implicated by the adoption of takeaway management zones around schools, planning consultants objected to proposals on behalf of transnational food retailers, however, independent takeaways did not respond. Objections attempted to determine the causes of poor diet and obesity, suggest alternative interventions to address them, undermine evidence justifying proposals, and influence perspectives about local authorities and their intervention. Objections consistently raised the same arguments, but over time became less explicit and expressed a willingness to partner with local authorities to develop alternative solutions. Conclusion: Objections to local authority proposals to adopt an urban planning intervention that can stop new takeaways opening near schools featured strategies used by other industries to delay or prevent population health intervention adoption. Practitioners and policymakers can use our findings when developing proposals for new takeaway management zones around schools. By using knowledge about their local context and addressing arguments against specific aspects of the intervention, they can pre-empt common objections.

BMI and explicit-implicit cues on food choice: The fake food buffet in the United Kingdom and Indonesia

We examined whether people with high BMI sampled from two different countries were more susceptible to behavioural change via an implicit, rather than explicit, intervention. We measured BMI and used three types of cue interventions (implicit vs explicit healthy lifestyle cue vs neutral cue) to examine their impact on our participants’ food choice using the Fake Food Buffet. Healthiness of the meal chosen was measured by the percentage of healthy food items in the meal. Portion size of their chosen meal was operationalised by the total number of food items chosen and its total calorie content was also estimated. Participants were recruited from the United Kingdom (N = 264) and Indonesia (N = 264). Our results indicated that while explicit food cues were overall more effective, implicit cues were a more effective strategy to change food choice behaviours among individuals with high BMI. Participants with high BMI were more likely to regulate the healthiness of their meal and less likely to regulate its portion size or calorie content. The efficacy of our healthy eating interventions was cross-culturally generalizable. Our study supports previous research that implicit cues of a healthy lifestyle might be a more effective behavioural change strategy for individuals with high BMI.

Satiety insecurity: A potential mediator between food insecurity and selection of larger portion sizes

Satiety insecurity: A potential mediator between food insecurity and selection of larger portion sizes

Carbohydrate Estimation Accuracy of Two Commercially Available Smartphone Applications vs Estimation by Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes: A Comparative Study.

Despite remarkable progress in diabetes technology, most systems still require estimating meal carbohydrate (CHO) content for meal-time insulin delivery. Emerging smartphone applications may obviate this need, but performance data in relation to patient estimates remain scarce. The objective is to assess the accuracy of two commercial CHO estimation applications, SNAQ and Calorie Mama, and compare their performance with the estimation accuracy of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Carbohydrate estimates of 53 individuals with T1D (aged ≥16 years) were compared with those of SNAQ (food recognition + quantification) and Calorie Mama (food recognition + adjustable standard portion size). Twenty-six cooked meals were prepared at the hospital kitchen. Each participant estimated the CHO content of two meals in three different sizes without assistance. Participants then used SNAQ for CHO quantification in one meal and Calorie Mama for the other (all three sizes). Accuracy was the estimate's deviation from ground-truth CHO content (weight multiplied by nutritional facts from recipe database). Furthermore, the applications were rated using the Mars-G questionnaire. Participants' mean ± standard deviation (SD) absolute error was 21 ± 21.5 g (71 ± 72.7%). Calorie Mama had a mean absolute error of 24 ± 36.5 g (81.2 ± 123.4%). With a mean absolute error of 13.1 ± 11.3 g (44.3 ± 38.2%), SNAQ outperformed the estimation accuracy of patients and Calorie Mama (both P > .05). Error consistency (quantified by the within-participant SD) did not significantly differ between the methods. SNAQ may provide effective CHO estimation support for people with T1D, particularly those with large or inconsistent CHO estimation errors. Its impact on glucose control remains to be evaluated.

Guiding people to take less food from the buffet: Two survey experiments that introduce a new simulated buffet scenario

Reducing portion sizes, has great potential to reduce food intake and plate waste. At all-you-can-eat buffets people tend to take larger portions of food than they would at home or at a general restaurant. Increased portion sizes can lead to people leaving uneaten food behind – contributing to food-related greenhouse gas emissions. This study develops and evaluates, in two online experiments, a meal guidance intervention to assist consumers with their meal choices. To measure behavioural intentions, we created a simulated buffet scenario where participants see a range of food items (as they would at a buffet) and are then asked to choose which foods and how many portions of each food item they would take. Compared to a control group, offering meal guidance did not appear to significantly decrease the number of grams or calories taken from the simulated buffet. However, there were significant differences in the number of grams and calories taken from the buffet when comparing those who at least followed the guidance in some way, and those who did not. Our research has methodological implications: it presents a novel and easy to implement measure of hypothetical buffet food choices and portioning that can be used in survey experiments. Future research could focus on developing strategies to prompt guests to follow meal guidance.

Fruits and vegetables dietary intake and its estimated consumption among adults receiving antiretroviral therapy in health facilities in Northcentral Ethiopia: a multi-facility cross-sectional study.

Despite the significant role of fruit and vegetables (FAVs) in preventing a variety of chronic diseases and their potential to bolster immune responses and slow the progression of HIV infection to AIDS, there is a lack of studies on the dietary intake of FAVs among HIV-infected adults in Africa, including Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the magnitude of FAV intake and estimated consumption among HIV-infected adults receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in northcentral Ethiopia. A multifacility cross-sectional study was conducted on the FAV intake among 865 HIV-infected adults receiving ART. A Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to identify factors associated with FAVs dietary intake. The study indicated that 655 (76.34%; 95% CI: 73.38, 79.07) HIV-infected adults reported consuming FAVs less than once per day, with 838 (97.67%, 95% CI: 96.41, 98.49) and 676 (78.79%, 95% CI: 75.92, 81.40) HIV-infected adults reporting consuming fruits and vegetables less than once per day, respectively. The median (IQR) total FAV intake was 271.3 (IQR: 92.5, 439.5) g/day, with the median (IQR) intake of fruits being 248.1 (IQR: 100.0, 400.0) g/day and vegetables being 273.78 (IQR: 82.44, 348.33) g/day, respectively. We found that being divorced (APR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.12), employed as a daily laborer (APR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.36, 3.20), being employed (APR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.84), merchants (APR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.47), having children as caregivers (APR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.55), an advanced WHO clinical stage (APR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.32(1.03, 1.69), and receiving ART for more than 8 years (APR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.67) were found to be independent predictors of FAV dietary intake among HIV-infected adults. From the findings, we understood that farmers were less likely to consume FAVs compared to employed individuals, daily laborers, and merchants. The finding indicated a very low level of FAV dietary intake among HIV-infected adults receiving ART, falling well-below the minimum recommendation for physically active adults. Despite living in areas with surplus production and producing these items, farmers are less likely to consume FAV. The study emphasizes the importance of focusing on the early stage of ART treatment for patients and family therapy, including counseling and guidance on consuming healthy diets such as FAVs, to enhance the role of children as caregivers for their families. Additionally, there is a need for comprehensive nutritional counseling to improve FAV consumption, with a particular emphasis on educating individuals about portion size estimation for the consumption of FAVs.

DEEP LEARNING BASED FOOD CALORIE DETECTION SYSTEM

The prevalence of diet-related health issues underscores the significance of accurate nutritional assessment for maintaining healthy lifestyles. With the ubiquity of smartphones and the increasing interest in health monitoring, there is a growing demand for convenient and reliable methods to track dietary intake. In this paper, we propose a Deep Learning-Based Food Calorie Detection System (DL-FCDS) that leverages computer vision techniques to automatically estimate the caloric content of foods from images captured using smartphones or other portable devices. Our system combines state-of-the-art deep learning models with image processing algorithms to detect and classify various food items within images, subsequently estimating their caloric content based on portion size and nutritional composition Keywords: Deep Learning, Food Calorie Detection, Computer Vision, Nutritional Assessment, Dietary Monitoring, Convolutional Neural Networks.

The strategies pursued by urban households to cope with food insecurity: Insights from selected towns in Southern Ethiopia.

Food security has become a major global concern, particularly in urban areas where households are struggling to address the issue of basic necessities mainly food that crucially dictates human health. Overcoming these challenges will require effective management mechanisms to inform policy interventions and enhance resilience at both local and global levels. This study aimed to explore the coping strategies (CS) pursued by urban households in the Southern Ethiopia. Furthermore, the focus is on how households to cope with food insecurity and how using these strategies varies within households. A household survey questionnaire was conducted using a cross-sectional design, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data. A total of 310 household heads were targeted for the required data acquisition with: The coping strategy index (CSI) to capture how people perceive and cope with food insecurity that threatens human health. The results indicate that households used the top seven CS to address the problem of food insecurity: limiting the size of portions at mealtimes (83.9%), depending on less expensive or seasonal foods (68.1%), reducing adult consumption (66.1%), reducing the amount of food consumed (65.8%), purchasing food on credit (60.3%), renting household assets (54.8%), and migrating household members for wage labor (53.5%). Moreover, the finding shows that the frequency of CS used by urban households in response to food insecurity is rated differently as never, rarely, sometimes, and more than 4 times per week. Therefore, targeted support programs for vulnerable groups should be implemented to ensure they receive adequate food during times of food insecurity wherein the victims' health status is imperatively to be bettered.

Understanding food insecurity in rural India: A comparative examination of farming and non-farming families during the coronavirus lockdown

Food insecurity has become an increasingly pressing issue during the COVID-19 lockdown in India, particularly in the rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on livelihoods and economic activities, resulting in a significant increase in the prevalence of food insecurity. The objective of this study is to examine the sociodemographic determinants of food insecurity among the rural poor in India during the COVID-19 lockdown. MethodsData for this study were extracted from the COVID-19-Related Shocks in Rural India 2020 survey (Round 2, 2020). Study areas included: Rajasthan (n=930), Uttar Pradesh (n=778), Bihar (n=1,073), Jharkhand(n=890), Madhya Pradesh (n=823) and Andhra Pradesh (n=511). ResultsOverall, 26.1% of respondents reported having reduced portion sizes or meals, 5.7% reported someone in their household going hungry, and 5.9% indicated they had run out of food. Participants from Scheduled Castes had a higher risk of reduced portion sizes (RR=1.54; 95% CI=1.26,1.89) and running out of food (RR=1.57; 95% CI=1.01,2.45). Male sex was associated with a lower risk of reduced portion sizes (RR=0.82; 95% CI=0.72,0.93). Compared to participants from Rajasthan, those from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh had significantly higher risks of experiencing all three food insecurity indicators. For instance, participants from Bihar had the highest risk for reduced portion sizes (RR=3.14, 95% CI=1.95,5.06), someone being hungry and not eating (RR=3.14, 95% CI=1.95,5.06), and running out of food (RR=2.79, 95% CI=1.66,4.68). ConclusionThe results indicate that when designing food security programs in rural India, it is important to consider factors such as gender, household size, religion, occupation, and region. Additionally, non-farming households faced higher relative risks of food insecurity, emphasizing the necessity for targeted interventions and support to address the vulnerabilities of these households.

Efficacy of Naltrexone/Bupropion in Treatment of Binge Eating: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: As the most widespread eating disorder in the world now, binge eating disorder (BED) is a mental condition characterized by recurrent periods of excessive food consumption and an inability to regulate one’s portion sizes. The utilization of a bupropion–naltrexone (NB) combination has been suggested as a potential therapeutic approach for BED. Assessing the effectiveness of NB in the treatment of BED and its accompanying obesity is the purpose of this research. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in order to obtain any pertinent articles. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Clinical Trials were consulted against in the databases that were searched. In our final meta-analysis, we incorporated interventional or observational studies that documented the effects of NB therapy for binge eating in adults. We also examined the difference in the mean change between the NB and placebo groups, as well as the disparity in outcomes before and after treatment. Results: This study shows that the use of an NB combination is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the weight, BMI, and Binge Eating Scale (BES) of the patients compared to their weight before treatment with MD: −8.52 (95% CI: −10.01–−6.94, p < 0.00001), MD: −4.95 (95%CI: −9.72–−0.17, p = 0.04), and MD: −7.66 (95%CI: −14.36–0.96, p = 0.02), respectively. The absolute mean change was statistically significantly higher in the drug combination group compared to the placebo group. Conclusions: NB showed efficacy in the improvement of the weight and psychiatric symptoms associated with BED and this provides a promising treatment option.

Triggers in the environment promoting food consumption

Most literature suggests that people can be influenced when choosing what to purchase or eat. Product availability, labelling and marketing, pricing, and portion size may all influence food choices. Environmental cues and the position of products on shelves, near checkouts, and in vending machines can also affect food choices and eating behaviours. Understanding the effects of these factors on human behaviour, and how they are affected by personal factors such as knowledge, values, motivations, and health goals, may provide avenues to nudge consumers towards healthy choices, and reinforce theoretical primers that support consumers to set appropriate goals for their well-being even when nudges promote consumption of less healthy foods

Development and Validation of Photographic Food Atlas: Guidance for Portion Size Estimation, Carbohydrate Counting, and Energy Intake Estimation

Development and Validation of Photographic Food Atlas: Guidance for Portion Size Estimation, Carbohydrate Counting, and Energy Intake Estimation

Method for Defining On-Pack Recommended Portion Sizes for Consumer Guidance

Method for Defining On-Pack Recommended Portion Sizes for Consumer Guidance

Effect of Shape, Size, and Color of the Food Plate on Consumer Perception of Energy Value, Portion Size, Attractiveness, and Expected Price of Dessert.

The development of new dishes in the catering services market requires an understanding of consumers' needs, expectations, and motivations for their choices. The effect of the serving method of a dessert on customers' perceptions of its visual appeal, portion size, energy value, and expected price was evaluated. The study involved the presentation of desserts on plates of various sizes, shapes, and colors. The study was carried out among 1005 respondents using the CAWI method. Our findings revealed that along with an increasing plate size from a diameter of ϕ24-27 cm to ϕ31 cm, the ratings of the dish's perceived appearance (p ≤ 0.001), portion size (p ≤ 0.001), and energy value (p ≤ 0.01) decreased. Plate shape influenced the perceived appearance of the dessert. When placed on a square platter, round desserts were considerably (p ≤ 0.05) less appealing. The color of the plate had a significant influence (p ≤ 0.001) on the dish's perceived appearance and estimated monetary value, and it evoked more sensory-hedonic impressions. Red-plate and white-plate desserts were liked less than black-plate desserts, but color-plated desserts were perceived as more expensive than those served on white dishes. Consumers perceived bright desserts on white plates as traditional, natural, and boring; those on black plates as modern, appetizing, and aesthetic; and those served on red plates as artificial, unsightly, and unappetizing. Higher consumer food neophobia led to a lower rating related to appearance and price perceptions, but elevated perceptions of portion size and energy value appraisal. Our results may be used in the marketing of gastronomic dishes.

Evidence of a self-serving bias in people's attributions for their food intake

People often fail to acknowledge external influences on their food intake, but there might be some circumstances in which people are willing to report that those external factors influenced their behavior. This study examined whether participants who believed that they had overeaten would indicate that the portion size they were served influenced their food intake. Participants (119 women) ate a pasta lunch at two separate sessions, one week apart. At the second session, participants were randomly assigned to receive either a regular portion of pasta (the same portion as the first session) or a large portion of pasta (a portion that was twice the size), and to receive false feedback about their food intake indicating that they had either eaten about the same as or substantially more than they had at the previous session. Participants were then asked to indicate the extent to which the amount of food served influenced how much they ate at that second session. Compared to participants who were informed that they had eaten the same amount across the two sessions, those who were informed that they ate more at the second session reported a stronger influence of the amount of food served if they also received a large portion of pasta, but not if they received a regular portion of pasta. These findings suggest that the willingness to implicate external influences (e.g., portion size) on one's food intake may be driven by a self-serving bias, providing an “excuse” for overeating. However, the external cue must be salient enough to be a plausible explanation for one's behavior.

Wavelet transform of autoradiographs: Analysis of MOX fuel heterogeneity

Radiation imaging is extensively applied in nuclear industry for various purposes including fuel characterization. Accurate quantitative evaluation of these radiographic images is difficult by the existing manual process and therefore image analytical methods have been attempted. The method of wavelet transform analysis has been applied on Gamma autoradiography (GAR) images of experimental (U, Pu)O2 mixed oxide (MOX) fuel pins with the objective to investigate the effectiveness of the method for fuel homogeneity characterization. The method was found effective to carry out quantified estimations of size and relative plutonium concentration of the heterogeneous portions in the fuel. The results were validated with theoretically simulated results as practical standards and calibrations are not possible in these samples. The results of wavelet transformation analysis were found to be more accurate with reference to the theoretically simulated values in comparison with conventional pixel analysis applied on the original GAR images.

A detective story of intermittent fasting effect on immunity.

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to periodic fasting routines, that caloric intake is minimized not by meal portion size reduction but by intermittently eliminating ingestion of one or several consecutive meals. IF can instigate comprehensive and multifaceted alterations in energy metabolism, these metabolic channels may aboundingly function as primordial mechanisms that interface with the immune system, instigating intricate immune transformations. This review delivers a comprehensive understanding of IF, paying particular attention to its influence on the immune system, thus seeking to bridge these two research domains. We explore how IF effects lipid metabolism, hormonal levels, circadian rhythm, autophagy, oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and intestinal barrier integrity, and conjecture about the mechanisms orchestrating the intersect between these factors and the immune system. Moreover, the review includes research findings on the implications of IF on the immune system and patients burdened with autoimmune diseases.

Do people need guidance to estimate a food portion size? Evidence from an exploratory eye-tracker study

A promising strategy to encourage portion control involves clear guidance and portion information on product packaging alongside nutrition details. However, literature on the impact of this information on serving sizes is conflicting. To gather more objective evidence about how consumers interact with on-pack portion guidance, we conducted a laboratory-based eye-tracker study with 66 participants completing two portion-size estimation tasks. In the first, participants estimated serving sizes indirectly by gauging how many people a product pack could serve. The second task involved direct portion size selection using pictorial representations of the food portion on a virtual plate. Additionally, we explored how participants’ familiarity with products affected their portion estimations. Results: when portion guidance was presented, errors in portion estimation significantly decreased only in the indirect task, where 85% of participants showed an improved accuracy. This suggests that the way individuals are prompted to estimate portion sizes influences their approach and their reliance on the provided guidance. Higher error rates occurred when participants were more familiar with the products. For less familiar products, the lower portion estimation errors were associated with the longer fixations on the portion graphic in the indirect task. In addition, participants who quickly noticed the portion graphic provided more accurate portion size estimates. This emphasizes the practical importance of swiftly locating portion information on-pack to enhance estimation accuracy.