Large Portion Sizes And High Energy Density = More Calories Consumed

Large portion sizes can be part of an environment that leads to obesity. The average portion size of foods consumed both inside and outside the home began increasing in the 1970s. Research suggests that doubling the portion size of an entrée for preschool aged children increases the child’s total calories consumed at a meal by 15 to 39%. Most often, when young children are given large portions of an entrée, they do not eat less of other items.

Dr. Jennifer Fisher and her colleagues at the USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center recently tested the impact of changing both portion size and dietary energy density (calories per weight) of an entrée eaten by young children. Her article is available in the July, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/86/1/174).

In the study, 5 to 6 year old children ate 4 weighed dinner meals one week apart. Each meal was the same except for modifications of the entrée (baked macaroni and cheese):

• Regular portion entrée (~1 cup) with traditional energy density (1.3 cal/gram)
• Regular portion entrée (~1 cup) with high energy density (1.8 cal/gram)
• Large portion entrée (~2 cups) with traditional energy density (1.3 cal/gram)
• Large portion entrée (~2 cups) with high energy density (1.8 cal/gram)

The results were fascinating. Children consumed one-third more of the entrée and about 15% more calories when served the larger portion size. When the entrée had the higher dietary energy density, children consumed about 18% more calories. Moreover, the effects of portion size and energy density differences were independent and additive. When a large portion of an energy-dense entrée was served, the calorie intake for the meal was 34% greater. There was little change in the amount of other foods consumed.

Dr. Fisher concludes, “These results strongly suggest that serving large portions of energy-dense foods may cause children to consume excess calories at meals.”