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Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
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"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

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|March 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Reducing snack food item size significantly decreased consumption and energy intake in children. This finding suggests smaller portions may help combat childhood obesity by reducing overall food consumption.

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Area of Science:

  • Nutrition Science
  • Pediatric Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Overconsumption of energy-dense snacks contributes to childhood obesity.
  • Portion size is a known factor influencing food intake.
  • Understanding how item size affects consumption is crucial for developing effective dietary strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of altering snack food item size (small vs. large cookies) on short-term energy intake in children.
  • To determine if reducing the physical size of food items influences consumption patterns.

Main Methods:

  • A between-subjects experimental design was employed with 77 first- and sixth-graders.
  • Participants were served the same total gram weight of cookies, with half receiving cookies cut into smaller pieces.
  • Food intake (gram weight and energy intake) was measured and analyzed using ANOVA.

Main Results:

  • Decreasing the item size of cookies resulted in a 25% reduction in gram weight intake.
  • This reduction in consumption corresponded to an average decrease of 68 kilocalories (kcal).
  • Appetitive ratings and individual/food characteristics did not moderate the effect of item size on intake.

Conclusions:

  • Reducing the item size of snack foods can lead to decreased consumption and energy intake.
  • This strategy shows promise for dietary prevention of obesity by countering overeating behaviors associated with large portions.
  • Smaller food item sizes may be an effective tool in managing energy balance and promoting healthier eating habits in children.