Portion Size and To-go Container on Dinner Intake

The Pennsylvania State University (PENNSTATE)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Eating Behavior; Obesity

Treatments: Other: Control; Behavioral: To-Go container

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry; Other U.S. Federal agency; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03502096

R01DK059853 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

PortionSize105

NIFA Grant 2011-67001-30117 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigated whether the provision of a to-go container influenced the portion size effect at a meal. Following a screening visit, women came to the lab once a week for 4 weeks to eat a meal of multiple foods. At each visit, the portion size of the meal was varied in a counterbalanced order. Prior to their first meal, women were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a group that would have their leftovers packaged to go (to-go group) and a group that did not have leftovers packaged (control group). Women were instructed to eat ad libitum at the meals. They also answered questions about hunger and fullness as well as food characteristics before and after each meal. Following the final meal, subjects completed a series of questionnaires assessing subject characteristics as well as food characteristics. It was hypothesized that the effect of portion size on intake would be attenuated in subjects who received a to-go container with the meal. In addition, we aimed to identify any subject characteristics that moderated or exacerbated the portion size effect. It was also of interest to determine whether the portion size effect on individual foods were influenced by food characteristics such as perceived value.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Regularly eats 3 meals/day
• Willing to avoid alcohol the day before and during test days
• Likes foods offered at test meals
• Body mass index 18 - 36 (kg/m*m)

Exclusion criteria

• Smokes
• Athlete in training
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Taking medication that may affect appetite or food intake
• Food allergies or dietary restrictions
• Currently have or recently been diagnosed with disease or disorder known to affect appetite

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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58 participants in 4 patient groups

100% portion size

Experimental group

Description:

100% portion sizes of all foods served (baseline). To-go container and controls received this meal.

Treatment:

Other: Control

Behavioral: To-Go container

125% portion size

Experimental group

Description:

125% of baseline portions served. To-go container and controls received this meal.

Treatment:

Other: Control

Behavioral: To-Go container

150% portion size

Experimental group

Description:

150% of baseline portions served. To-go container and controls received this meal.

Treatment:

Other: Control

Behavioral: To-Go container

175% portion size

Experimental group

Description:

175% of baseline portions served. To-go container and controls received this meal.

Treatment:

Other: Control

Behavioral: To-Go container