Portion Sizes and the Obesity Epidemic1,2

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ABSTRACT

The rise in obesity rates over the past 30 y has been paralleled by increases in the portion size of many foods and the prevalence of eating away from home. Foods of particular concern are those that have a high energy density (kJ/g). Many well-controlled, laboratory-based studies have found that large portions of energy-dense foods can lead to excess energy intakes. This influence of large portions on energy intake has been supported by data collected in naturalistic settings. Further research is needed to explore strategies that can be used to moderate the effects of portion size on food consumption. One promising strategy is to reduce the energy density of foods, while maintaining food weight or volume, so that consumers can eat satisfying portions while reducing their energy intakes. There is a need for effective educational messages that not only emphasize limiting the consumption of foods high in energy density, but also encourage the consumption of those with a low energy density, such as fruits and vegetables. The delivery of consistent messages will require more cooperation among the food and restaurant industries, policy makers, and scientists. Effective strategies will also require consumers to understand and accept the importance of eating reasonable portions for better health.

Key words

portion size
energy density
energy intakes
obesity
weight management

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1

Presented as part of the symposium “Modifying the Food Environment: Energy Density, Food Costs, and Portion Size” given at the 2004 Experimental Biology meeting on April 19, 2004, Washington, DC. The symposium was sponsored by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences and was supported in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Campbell Soup Company. The proceedings are published as a supplement to The Journal of Nutrition. This supplement is the responsibility of the Guest Editors to whom the Editor of The Journal of Nutrition has delegated supervision of both technical conformity to the published regulations of The Journal of Nutrition and general oversight of the scientific merit of each article. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and are not attributable to the sponsors or the publisher, editor, or editorial board of The Journal of Nutrition. The Guest Editors for the symposium publication are Adam Drewnowski, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, and Barbara Rolls, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

2

Support provided by NIH grants R37DK039177 and R01DK059853.