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Updated: May 24, 2026

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
"Split them!" smaller item sizes of cookies lead to a decrease in energy intake in children
David Marchiori1, Laurent Waroquier, Olivier Klein
1Social Psychology Unit, Free University of Brussels, Bruxelles, Belgium. dmarchio@ulb.ac.be
Objective:
Examine the influence of altering the size of snack food (ie, small vs large cookies) on short-term energy intake.
Methods:
First- and sixth-graders (n = 77) participated in a between-subjects experimental design. All participants were offered the same gram weight of cookies during an afternoon tea at their school. For half of the participants, food was cut in 2 to make the small item size. Food intake (number of cookies, gram weight, and energy intake) was examined using ANOVA.
Results:
Decreasing the item size of food led to a decrease of 25% in gram weight intake, corresponding to 68 kcal. Appetitive ratings and subject and food characteristics had no moderating effect.
Conclusions And Implications:
Reducing the item size of food could prove a useful dietary prevention strategy based on decreased consumption, aimed at countering obesity-promoting eating behaviors favored by the easy availability of large food portions.
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Self-Regulation
Energy Budgets
Energy Balance
Regulation of Food Intake

