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How do patients with eating disorders perceive and evaluate food portion sizes? A systematic review
Annica Franziska Dörsam1,2, Isabelle Mack1,2, Laura Kögel1,2
1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Objective:
The selection of adequate portion sizes plays a key role in the nutritional treatment of eating disorders (EDs). There is limited knowledge concerning the estimation of portion sizes in individuals with EDs.
Method:
We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA statement to synthesise current evidence in this field. Of N = 584 hits, four full-texts were included in the qualitative synthesis.
Results:
While patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) tend to overestimate the size of energy-dense food items and small to medium sized meal portions, they do not show a different estimation compared to healthy controls when judging the amount of food pieces. Large portion sizes were associated with increased anxiety in patients with AN.
Discussion:
The overestimation of food portion sizes seems to be driven by attitudinal and/or higher cognitive factors associated with AN. Differences between the studies are discussed and suggestions for future studies are given.
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