Red potato chips: Segmentation cues can substantially decrease food intake

Appetite, 2017

Presentation of the same amount of a food in multiple smaller units ('segmentation') has been shown to reduce food intake and increase estimates of the amount of food consumed. However, this effect has been demonstrated for ad libitum food intake only. In the majority of cases, meals are not consumed ad libitum, but are pre-selected and consumed in their entirety, Expected satiety (ES; the anticipated capacity of a portion of food to relieve hunger between meals) is an excellent predictor of portion size selection. This study tested the hypothesis that segmentation increases ES. It was also hypothesised that perceived volume (PV) may account for the relationship between segmentation and ES. Sixty-eight participants made computer-based ES and PV judgments for equicaloric portions of three test foods (salted peanuts, spaghetti Bolognese, and chicken tikka masala), which were presented in either a single unit or as multiple smaller units (three or six units). Results revealed a...

Appetite, 2019

The contemporary food-rich environment has been consistently linked to unhealthy eating. Emerging research suggests that changing the presentation context of unhealthy foods by introducing a subtle nudge in the form of a healthy food cue may promote healthier dietary choices. This study investigated the effect of the timing of a healthy food cue (before or simultaneously with food options) on food choices. Participants (n = 210) were presented with a pictorial café-style menu displaying a healthy food cue (basket of fruit and vegetables) either on the menu cover or inside the menu, or they received a control menu. Participants were asked to make one choice from each of three menu sections (meals, beverages, afters), and then completed a measure of dietary restraint. As predicted, participants chose a greater proportion of healthy food from the healthy-cue-before menu compared to both the healthy-cue-simultaneous and control menus. Furthermore, this effect was stronger for restrained eaters. The findings demonstrate that the timing of presentation of a healthy food cue is critical, and could be used to inform the design of menus in real-world environments, such as cafés and fast-food outlets, to promote healthier dietary choices.

Obesity Research, 2005

WANSINK, BRIAN, JAMES E. PAINTER, AND JILL NORTH. Bottomless bowls: why visual cues of portion size may influence intake. Obes Res. 2005;13:93-100. Objective: Using self-refilling soup bowls, this study examined whether visual cues related to portion size can influence intake volume without altering either estimated intake or satiation. Research Methods and Procedures: Fifty-four participants (BMI, 17.3 to 36.0 kg/m 2 ; 18 to 46 years of age) were recruited to participate in a study involving soup. The experiment was a between-subject design with two visibility levels: 1) an accurate visual cue of a food portion (normal bowl) vs. 2) a biased visual cue (self-refilling bowl). The soup apparatus was housed in a modified restaurant-style table in which two of four bowls slowly and imperceptibly refilled as their contents were consumed. Outcomes included intake volume, intake estimation, consumption monitoring, and satiety. Results: Participants who were unknowingly eating from self-refilling bowls ate more soup [14.7 Ϯ 8.4 vs. 8.5 Ϯ 6.1 oz; F(1,52) ϭ 8.99; p Ͻ 0.01] than those eating from normal soup bowls. However, despite consuming 73% more, they did not believe they had consumed more, nor did they perceive themselves as more sated than those eating from normal bowls. This was unaffected by BMI. Discussion: These findings are consistent with the notion that the amount of food on a plate or bowl increases intake because it influences consumption norms and expectations and it lessens one's reliance on self-monitoring. It seems that people use their eyes to count calories and not their stomachs. The importance of having salient, accurate visual cues can play an important role in the prevention of unintentional overeating.

Appetite, 2021

Chronic excess energy intake contributes to the development of overweight and obesity. Solutions are needed to guide consumers towards reducing food intake, especially high energy density (HED) and highly palatable foods. Food packaging, a key element of the eating environment, offers a potential solution to assist consumers in portion control. To investigate whether packaging design influences measured food intake, a systematic search was undertaken in four electronic databases (Ovid Medline; Ovid PsycInfo; Ovid Embase and Web of Science). This process yielded 1671 discrete papers, of which 23 articles containing 40 relevant studies were retrieved. Overall, most (n = 36) of the manipulated packaging features influenced consumption quantity with. The largest effect sizes were observed for packaging which guided consumers either by visual or functional features. For example, packaging size, images on the front of the pack, as well as functional features such as partitioning and resealability all helped to reduce intake. However, individual differences and attentional focus mediate packaging effects. Overall, packaging features can be used to reduce the intake of HED foods and increase the intake of nutrient-dense foods (e.g., carrots). Future studies on packaging for portion control (downsizing) might benefit from long term, randomised control trials to test effects outside of the laboratory context and applied to everyday usage.

Nutrients

Research has shown that people consume more food when offered larger portions, and that reducing exposure to large food portions and packages could decrease the average daily energy consumed. In this context, our aim is to develop strategies to promote healthier eating behaviors by reducing portion selection and intake. The present research investigates the impact of different visual attributes of foods on quantity perception and portion selection. In the first study, we tested whether modifying the shape of a familiar food influenced the ideal portion size in adults. In the second study, we assessed the impact of shape, number of units, size, and color variety on a perceived quantity for a familiar multiunit product in children. Participants (N1 = 70 adults, N2 = 62 children) completed different picture-based computer tasks. As hypothesized: (1) adults selected a smaller ideal portion size for an elongated product than for wider and thicker shapes, and (2) children’s perception of ...

Cureus, 2022

The objective of this article is to analyze whether visual plate-related dietary guidance systems-such as the MyPlate guideline or the Half-Plate Rule-help people eat better when dining at home or in restaurants. Methods To help explore this, 104 young adults were randomly assigned to follow either (1) USDA MyPlate guidelines, (2) the Half-Plate Rule, or (3) no guidelines (control condition). They then used their assigned guidelines to complete the survey while eating a dinner of their choice. They completed a food diary for the meal and then completed a survey about their experience. Results Both the two visual dietary guidance systems (My Plate and the Half-Plate Rule) were considered easy to understand and easy to follow, and they left people with fewer questions about what to eat (all p < 0.01). Understandability is important because those people who rated a system "easy to follow" indicated they had consumed less meat than usual (r = 0.268), but understandability was uncorrelated with fruit and vegetable intake (r = 0.092) and carbohydrate intake (r = 0.069). Conclusions There are three key conclusions to these and other findings: first, the simplest guidance system may be more effective than none. Second, even the most perfect dietary guidance system will not change behavior if (a) the foods are not available, or (b) it is not followed. Third, guidance systems could over-increase the consumption of some foods (such as dairy) they specifically mention, presumably because it makes them more salient in one's mind.

BMC Obesity, 2014

Background: Better techniques are needed to help consumers make lower calorie food choices. This pilot study examined the effect of menu labeling with caloric information and exercise equivalents (EE) on food selection. Participants, 62 females, ages 18-34, recruited for this study, ordered a fast food meal with menus that contained the names of the food (Lunch 1 (L1), control meal). One week later (Lunch 2 (L2), experiment meal), participants ordered a meal from one of three menus with the same items as the previous week: no calorie information, calorie information only, or calorie information and EE. Results: There were no absolute differences between groups in calories ordered from L1 to L2. However, it is noteworthy that calorie only and calorie plus exercise equivalents ordered about 16% (206 kcal) and 14% (162 kcal) fewer calories from Lunch 1 to Lunch 2, respectively; whereas, the no information group ordered only 2% (25 kcal) fewer. Conclusions: Menu labeling alone may be insufficient to reduce calories; however, further research is needed in finding the most effective ways of presenting the menu labels for general public.

Appetite, 2021

Previous research suggests that portion sizes can be categorised as 'normal' or 'abnormal' and that reduced portions which are still categorised as normal do not promote compensatory responses in intake. However, a critical question remainswill consumers choose a reduced portion product from among standard portion competitors? For the first time, we explore the effects of portion reduction on food choice. Participants (N = 45) categorised 20 different portions (range 40-420 kcal) of five snacks as normal or abnormal (to quantify individual 'norm boundaries' for each food) and rated their desire to eat each snack. Using a 2-alternative forced choice hypothetical task, we then calculated a 'choice boundary' by offering smaller portions of their mostdesired snack (range 40-240 kcal) alongside standardised portions (240 kcal) of the less-desired foods. Boundaries were derived using probit analysis (choice boundary mean = 185.8 kcal, SD = 54, norm boundary mean = 127.3 kcal, SD = 49.5) and these deviated significantly (p < .01, d = 0.98, mean difference = 58.0 kcal, SD = 59.1). Critically, this shows that only a small reductionwhere the product is still considered normal-can nudge a consumer to select an alternative. Choice boundaries were also affected by differences in desire to eat; when two foods were desired to a similar degree, only minor reductions in the size of the favourite food elicited a switch in choice. Together, these findings indicate that portion reduction can also influence food choice, highlighting the importance of measuring choice boundaries before reformulating commercial products.

Journal of Consumer …, 2010

Across a series of three studies, we demonstrate that the number of product units displayed on a package biases consumers' perceptions of product quantity (i.e., the number of snack items the package contains) and actual consumption. Specifically, we demonstrate that consumers use an anchoring heuristic to infer that packages that display a greater number of product units (e.g., 15 pretzels vs. 3 pretzels) have a higher product quantity inside. Importantly, we demonstrate that actual consumption of the food product follows this anchor judgment. The studies demonstrate that these effects are moderated by level of visual processing and that they are robust even in the presence of verbal information.