RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD PORTION SIZE AND FOOD INTAKE: A REVIEW

Authors

  • Alline Gouvea Martins Rodrigues
  • Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença

Abstract

The relationship between food portion size and food intake is discussed in this study. Articles in ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciELO and MEDLINE/PubMed databases, as well as the references of the articles identified, were searched in Portuguese and English, with no time limitation, using the following key words: "portion size" or “plate/dish weight" conjugated to "restaurant", "meal", "food choice", "behavior food "energy density", "food consumption" and/or “food intake”. Based upon the results of this literature research, it is possible to claim that food portion size is an important determinant of food intake so often, regardless of age, sex, nutritional status, perceptions of hunger and satiety or compensation. Experimental studies demonstrate that the effects of larger food portions sizes are positively associated with increase in food intake. When purchasing ready-to-eat foods, the intake of food portion sizes greater than the energy requirements are related to the perception of food portion size in relation to the perception of value of money. It follows that, once selected larger portion sizes, it is likely that a passive increase in intake occurs, and this effect could last for several days, changing eating habits. These changes may be related to an inadequate nutritional status and higher risk of overweight/obesity and chronic-degenerative diseases.

Key words: Appetite Regulation. Eating Behavior. Eating Habits.

Published

2011-08-29

Issue

Section

REVIEW ARTICLES