Portion size effects vary: The size of food units is a bigger problem than the number

Vandenbroele, Jolien; Kerckhove, Anneleen Van; Zlatevska, Natalina

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2019.04.025

Cited by 18 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Whereas for chocolate and confectionery, which are easy to segment and available in a wider range of sizes, the amounts consumed by children varied much more with age. This accords with an experimental study by Vandenbroele et al (2019) [31] which reported that the size of food units was more important in determining portion size than the number of food units.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Determinants of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents: Insights from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2016)

Blundell-Birtill

Hetherington

2019

Nutrients

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Large portion sizes have been identified as contributing to overweight and obesity, particularly in children and adolescents. This study examined predictors of portion sizes of high energy snack foods eaten by children aged 1.5–18 years. Specifically, we examined whether portion sizes were adjusted for age, and what external features of the environment might be linked to large portion sizes. Portion sizes were derived from four-day food diaries that form the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Diaries from 5942 children were examined and multilevel models were used to discover whether age, gender, location, time of day, household income, and watching TV while eating predicted portion sizes of savoury snacks, chocolate, confectionery and biscuits. Portion sizes of all the target foods were predicted by age. Boys had larger portions, and portion sizes were larger when target foods were consumed later in the day. Portion sizes were larger outside the home, for example in leisure venues, but the target foods were eaten more frequently in the home. As dietary patterns change to include more snack intake outside the home, these locations could be an important space to target for interventions for portion control.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Determinants of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents: Insights from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2016)

Blundell-Birtill

Hetherington

2019

Nutrients

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“…Note that in the unit bias and portion size paradigm, subjectively construed differences between food options are typically conflated with actual, objective differences (e.g., Geier et al, 2006;Kerameas et al, 2015;Vandenbroele et al, 2019). In the present work, we therefore aim to disentangle the perceptual differences between food units from their "objective" quantity differences and argue that such perceptual differences suffice in affecting food desire and consumption.…”

Section: Actual Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Importantly, the common methodological paradigm used in studies on the unit bias and portion size effect is to manipulate units/portions by creating objective volume, weight, or size differences between food units/portions, showing that a higher volume, weight or size induces increased food desire and/or consumption (see also: Kerameas et al, 2015;Vandenbroele et al, 2019;Zlatevska et al, 2014). But are such objective volume, weight or size differences between food items a sufficient, or even necessary condition to nudge consumers into eating more, possibly even exceeding their energy needs?…”

Section: Actual Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is There a “Gestalt Bias” in Indulgence? Subjectively Constructing Food Units into Wholes (Versus Parts) Increases Desire to Eat and Actual Consumption

Joye¹,

Bruyneel²,

Fennis³

2021

Preprint

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In the present work we extend research into the unit bias effect and its extension—the portion size effect—by demonstrating the existence of a “Gestalt bias.” Drawing on the tenets of Gestalt psychology, we show that a unit bias effect can be observed for food portions that are composed of identical basic units, but which are subjectively grouped into, or perceived as a Gestalt—a larger whole. In three studies, we find that such subjectively constructed food wholes constitute a new (perceptual) unit that is perceived bigger than the units it is constructed from, thereby prompting increased eating and desire to eat.

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“…Importantly, the common methodological paradigm used in studies on the unit bias and portion size effect is to manipulate units/portions by creating objective volume, weight, or size differences between food units/portions, showing that a higher volume, weight or size induces increased food desire and/or consumption [see also: Zlatevska et al ( 2014 ), Kerameas et al ( 2015 ), Vandenbroele et al ( 2019 )]. But are such objective volume, weight or size differences between food items a sufficient, or even necessary condition to nudge consumers into eating more, possibly even exceeding their energy needs?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is There a “Gestalt Bias” in Indulgence? Subjectively Constructing Food Units Into Wholes (vs. Parts) Increases Desire to Eat and Actual Consumption

2021

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Portion size effects vary: The size of food units is a bigger problem than the number

Cited by 18 publications

References 46 publications

Determinants of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents: Insights from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2016)

Determinants of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents: Insights from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2016)

Is There a “Gestalt Bias” in Indulgence? Subjectively Constructing Food Units into Wholes (Versus Parts) Increases Desire to Eat and Actual Consumption

Is There a “Gestalt Bias” in Indulgence? Subjectively Constructing Food Units Into Wholes (vs. Parts) Increases Desire to Eat and Actual Consumption

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