This tool provides a standardised method of evaluating cooking skills interventions that could be utilised in the development and evaluation of multicentre cooking skills interventions.

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OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of covert alterations in the energy density (ED) of mixed, medium fat (MF) diets on ad libitum food and energy intake (EI), subjective hunger and body weight in humans. DESIGN: Randomised cross-over design. Subjects were each studied three times (factorial design), during 14 d, throughout which they had ad libitum access to one of three covertly-manipulated MF diets. SUBJECTS: Six healthy men, mean age (s.e.m.) 30.0 y (12.76 y), mean weight 71.67 kg (19.80 kg); mean height 1.79 m (0.22 m), body mass index (BMI) 22.36 (2.60) kg/m 2 , were studied. The fat, carbohydrate (CHO) and protein in each diet (as a proportion of the total energy) and energy density (ED) were, low-ED (LED), 38:49:13%; 373 kJ/100 g; medium-ED (MED), 40:47:13%; 549 kJ/100 g; high-ED (HED), 39:48:13%; 737 kJ/100 g. Subjects could alter the amount but not the composition of foods eaten. They were resident in (but not con®ned to) a metabolic suite throughout the study. RESULTS: Solid food intake decreased as ED increased, giving mean values of 2.84, 2.51 and 2.31 kg/d, respectively. This was insuf®cient to defend energy balance, since energy intake increased with increasing ED (F (2,10) 16.08; P`0.001) giving mean intakes of 10.12, 12.80 and 16.17 MJ/d, respectively. Rated pleasantness of food (measured on visual analogue scales) was not signi®cantly different between diets nor was subjective hunger different between the LED, MED and HED diets, respectively. Diet signi®cantly affected body weight (F (2,10) 4.62; P 0.038), producing changes of 71.20, 0.02 and 0.95 kg, respectively, by day 14. CONCLUSION: Dietary ED can in¯uence EI and body weight, since changes in amount eaten alone are insuf®cient to defend energy balance, when subjects feed on unfamiliar diets and diet selection is precluded. Comparison with our previous studies suggest that there was compensation in solid food intake when ED was altered using mixed diets (as in this study) compared to previous studies which primarily used fat or CHO to alter dietary ED.

Objective: To assess the validity of the food-frequency questionnaire used in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC FFQ) for estimating nutrient intake in an adolescent population. Design: Sixty-seven schoolchildren (mean age: 12:3^0:3 years) were recruited to complete a 7-day weighed dietary record (7-day WDR), the EPIC FFQ and supply one 24-hour urine collection. Setting: Harris Academy in Dundee (UK). Results: Fifty subjects completed both dietary assessment methods. Thirteen of these were classified as underreporters with energy intake/basal metabolic rate , 1:14: The EPIC FFQ showed higher estimates than the 7-day WDR for all nutrients. The median Spearman correlation coefficient for the nutrients examined was found to be 0.31 and increased to 0.48 after adjustment for total energy. The limits of agreement were as far apart as 13.4 MJ, 120 g, 270 g, 120 g and 1170 mg for energy, fat, sugar, protein and calcium, respectively. Correlations between urine and 7-day WDR dietary nitrogen and potassium were found to be statistically significant with r ¼ 0:45 ðP , 0:05Þ and r ¼ 0:78 ðP , 0:001Þ; respectively. The median proportion of subjects that appeared in the same and opposite third of intake was found to be 45.9% and 10.8%, respectively. Conclusions: The EPIC FFQ seems adequate to correctly classify low, medium and high consumers and might therefore be used to identify adolescent population groups at risk or for differences between populations. However, agreement between the EPIC FFQ and the 7-day WDR was very poor on both a group and an individual basis, and demonstrates that the EPIC FFQ is not an appropriate method for estimating absolute intakes in this age group.

A number of methods have been developed to assist subjects in providing an estimate of portion size but their application in improving portion size estimation by children has not been investigated systematically. The aim was to develop portion size assessment tools for use with children and to assess the accuracy of children's estimates of portion size using the tools. The tools were food photographs, food models and an interactive portion size assessment system (IPSAS). Children (n 201), aged 4-16 years, were supplied with known quantities of food to eat, in school. Food leftovers were weighed. Children estimated the amount of each food using each tool, 24 h after consuming the food. The age-specific portion sizes represented were based on portion sizes consumed by children in a national survey. Significant differences were found between the accuracy of estimates using the three tools. Children of all ages performed well using the IPSAS and food photographs. The accuracy and precision of estimates made using the food models were poor. For all tools, estimates of the amount of food served were more accurate than estimates of the amount consumed. Issues relating to reporting of foods left over which impact on estimates of the amounts of foods actually consumed require further study. The IPSAS has shown potential for assessment of dietary intake with children. Before practical application in assessment of dietary intake of children the tool would need to be expanded to cover a wider range of foods and to be validated in a 'real-life' situation.Portion size estimation: Food photographs: Interactive portion size assessment system: ChildrenTo monitor the diet of populations there is a need for methods that are accurate, easy for the subject to complete and appropriate to the target population.Assessing habitual food intake of any population group is challenging. Common problems encountered include underreporting 1,2 , subject selection bias and recording bias 3 . Additional limitations must be considered when children are the subjects. The skills and limitations of the population to be studied must be considered. When children are the subjects these may include issues of literacy and writing skills, limited food recognition skills, memory constraints and concentration span.In order that intakes of food can be converted into intakes of nutrients or other food constituents, a measure or estimate of the portion size of each food item consumed is required. Weighing and recording all foods eaten requires a highly motivated and committed subject population that is unlikely to be representative of the general population. Berg et al. discuss that when participation in a project requires a great deal of subject commitment or divulging information of a sensitive nature then there is a risk that the response rate will be low 4 . Of those approached to take part, 64 % completed the recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of young people aged 4-18 years in the UK, which used a 7 d weighed diary method 5 . In addition, ap...

It is often the case in dietary assessment that it is not practicable to weigh individual intakes of foods eaten. The aim of the work described was to estimate typical food portion weights for children of different ages. Using the data available from the British National Diet and Nutrition Surveys of children aged 1½–4½ years (1992–1993) and young people aged 4–18 years (1997), descriptive statistics were obtained, and predicted weights were calculated by linear, quadratic and exponential regression for each age group. Following comparison of energy and nutrient intakes calculated from actual (from an earlier weighed intake study) and estimated portion weights, the final list of typical portion sizes was based on median portion weights for the 1–3- and 4–6-year age groups, and age-adjusted means using linear regression for the 7–10-, 11–14- and 15–18-year age groups. The number of foods recorded by fifty or more children was 133 for each of the younger age groups (1–3 and 4–6 years) and seventy-five for each of the older age groups. The food portion weights covered all food groups. All portion sizes increased with age with the exception of milk in tea or coffee. The present study draws on a unique source of weighed data on food portions of a large sample of children that is unlikely to be repeated and therefore provides the best possible estimates of children's food portion sizes in the UK.

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BackgroundPregnancy is a life stage where excess weight gain may occur and the postpartum period is often characterised by weight retention. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a randomised controlled trial of a weight loss intervention (WeighWell) in postpartum women living in areas of social disadvantage.Subjects and methodsThe study aimed to recruit 60 women who were not pregnant, 6-18 months postpartum with a BMI >25kg/m2 living in areas of deprivation within Tayside, UK. Recruitment strategies focused on visits to community groups; writing directly to postpartum women living in areas of deprivation and primary care teams who covered the most deprived 15% of the population and advertising in community settings. The 12 week intervention used motivational interviewing techniques to promote an energy deficit diet and increased physical activity, delivered by 3 face to face consultations plus 3 structured telephone calls.ResultsOf 142 women screened, 63 were eligible and 52 (83%) were recruited and randomised to an intervention (n=29) or comparison group (n=23). Over the 12 week intervention, body weight changed significantly by −1.6 ± 2.0kg in the intervention group compared to +0.2 ± 2.2kg in the comparison group indicating the potential efficacy of the intervention. Loss to follow-up was 24% in the intervention group and 39% for the comparison group.ConclusionsThe findings support the development of a definitive trial that embraces personalised recruitment strategies and the development of approaches to improve retention over a clinically relevant intervention period.