ReviewThe Proceedings of the Nutrition Society2018
Understanding the science of portion control and the art of downsizing.
Review in The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of the relationship between portion size and indexes of adiposity in children.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of Portion Control Tools on Portion Size Awareness, Choice and Intake: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Managing snacking behaviors through energy density, portion control, sensory properties, and packaging.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- 'You just eyeball it': Parent and nursery staff perceptions and influences on child portion size: A reflexive thematic analysis.Nutrition and health · 2025Article
- Differences between the normal and perceived appropriate portion sizes of discretionary foods.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Article
- Method to define recommended portion sizes for consumer guidance.European journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Portion Size Norms of Discretionary Foods and Eating Settings: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2024Article
- A qualitative exploration of food portion size practices and awareness of food portion size guidance in first-time parents of one- to two-year-olds living in the UK.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Designing for downsizing: Home-based barriers and facilitators to reduce portion sizes for children.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Evolution of beverage portion sizes consumed in Brazil between 2008 and 2018.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- The Effect of Downsizing Packages of Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor Snacks and Drinks on Consumption, Intentions, and Perceptions-A Scoping Review.Nutrients · 2021Article
- The Role of Dishware Size in the Perception of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents with Obesity.Nutrients · 2021Article
- The Phantom Satiation Hypothesis of Bariatric Surgery.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2021Article
- Effects of snack portion size on anticipated and experienced hunger, eating enjoyment, and perceived healthiness among children.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2020Article
- Perspective: Whole and Refined Grains and Health-Evidence Supporting "Make Half Your Grains Whole".Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2020Article
- Determinants of Portion Size in Children and Adolescents: Insights from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008-2016).Nutrients · 2019Article
- What role does tableware size play in energy consumption of children and adults?Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Offering large portions of high-energy-dense (HED) foods increases overall intake in children and adults. This is known as the portion size effect (PSE). It is robust, reliable and enduring. Over time, the PSE may facilitate overeating and ultimately positive energy balance. Therefore, it is important to understand what drives the PSE and what might be done to counter the effects of an environment promoting large portions, especially in children. Explanations for the PSE are many and diverse, ranging from consumer error in estimating portion size to simple heuristics such as cleaning the plate or eating in accordance with consumption norms. However, individual characteristics and hedonic processes influence the PSE, suggesting a more complex explanation than error or heuristics. Here PSE studies are reviewed to identify interventions that can be used to downsize portions of HED foods, with a focus on children who are still learning about social norms for portion size. Although the scientific evidence for the PSE is robust, there is still a need for creative downsizing solutions to facilitate portion control as children and adolescents establish their eating habits.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.