Portion Size Impacts Mealtime Calories

The eating environment is an important factor influencing the amount of food and calories a child consumes. Research suggests that an eating environment that provides convenient access to large portions of palatable, energy-dense food may lead to overeating and perhaps obesity in children.

Scientists have debated the age at which children become susceptible to overeating large portions. Dr. Jennifer Fisher, a scientist at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, has conducted research showing effects of large food portions on children’s mealtime energy intake. Her study, published in the journal Obesity in February 2007, provides insight.

Children ranging in age between 2 and 9 years were either given an age-appropriate entrée at the dinner meal, a portion-size twice as large as the age-appropriate portion or the opportunity to serve themselves. Dr. Fisher shares the following key findings from her research.

• The larger portion entrée led to increased calorie intake for all children including children as young as two years.
• The larger portion entrée led to an average 13% higher energy intake at the meal.
• Children took similar numbers of bites regardless of the portion size, but ate bigger bites when served the larger portion.
• Children who were most affected by the larger portions ate less when allowed to serve themselves than when the large portion was served to them.

Dr Fisher concludes, “The results of this study demonstrate that serving large portion entrées at meals promotes children’s energy intake at meals, even among toddlers. The potential protective effect of allowing children to self-determine portion size needs further study.”

Additional information can be found on the CNRC website at www.kidsnutrition.org/faculty/fisher.htm