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Impact of Portion Control Tools on Portion Size Awareness, Choice and Intake: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
M Angeles Vargas-Alvarez1,2, Santiago Navas-Carretero1,2,3,4, Luigi Palla5,6
1Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
Nutrients
|July 2, 2021
Summary
Portion control tools, like smaller bowls and spoons, can help reduce food intake and promote modest weight loss. However, reduced-size plates alone may not be as effective as commonly believed.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Portion control tools, including utensils and tableware, are proposed to guide food intake.
- The effectiveness of these tools in managing portion sizes and their impact on health outcomes remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of various portion control tools on awareness, choice, and consumption of appropriate portion sizes (PS).
- To assess the impact of these tools on energy intake and weight status.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 publications (2006-2020) from PubMed and Web of Science.
- Studies analyzed included comparisons of portion control tools (tableware and non-tableware) on awareness, selection, intake, and weight.
- Meta-analysis included 28 articles examining effects on food intake and weight status.
Main Results:
- 55% of studies reported significant impacts from portion control tools, particularly smaller bowls and spoons.
- Meta-analysis confirmed a small overall effect on reducing food intake (d = -0.22), driven by reduced-size bowls/spoons, but not plates (d = -0.03).
- Portion control tools showed a marginal effect on weight loss (d = -0.20), especially calibrated tableware; no impact on PS awareness was detected.
Conclusions:
- Specific portion control tools, such as smaller bowls and spoons, can be effective in reducing food intake and supporting weight loss interventions.
- Reduced-size plates may not be as effective as other tools in influencing consumption.
- Further research is needed to quantify the impact on portion size awareness.
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