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Two studies from a team of American and Dutch researchers have found that larger bowl sizes bias children toward requesting larger portion sizes and eating more food, based on a study published the 2009 week in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Previous research has revealed that bigger dishes cause adults to eat bigger portions and the new report found exactly the same phenomenon for children C influencing these to eat 52 percent more within the new studies.
To examine the result of bowl size on children’s eating tendencies, researchers served 69 preschoolers a sweetened cereal either in 8-ounce bowls or 16-ounce bowls. Study researchers poured the cereal and milk in small increments, every time asking “Is that enough or do you want more?” until the children responded that they are happy with the amount before them. The young participants did not eat their particular portion of cereal.
The study researchers discovered that bigger bowls correlated to children requesting 87 percent more cereal-despite their age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).
To observe how much bowl size affects what children will in fact eat C another study was conducted with 18 children between the ages of 6 and 10 at summer camp. The 2nd study started the same way as the first C with adults serving the children cereal and milk in increasing increments until the participants indicated they had enough. Next, however, the researchers used secret scales included in the tables to determine each cereal portion before and after the children ate C indicating just how much have been consumed.
This time, the kids asked for 69 percent more cereal and milk while using the bigger bowls. The bigger bowls also correlated to 52 percent rise in what the children ate. Kids with the bigger bowls also wasted about 14 % more food than those with small bowls. They also discovered that 78 percent from the young participants said they’d eaten in the same size bowl as their parents in your own home, potentially causing them to over-portion and overeat.
“Bigger bowls cause kids to request nearly twice as much food, leading to increased intake in addition to higher food waste,” said study author Koert Van Ittersum, in the University of Groning. “Based on these findings, using smaller dishware for kids can be a simple solution for caregivers who are worried about their kids’ calorie intake.”
“The quickest way parents can help kids eat less might be to grab them a smaller bowl,” said lead author Brian Wansink, professor of behavioral economics at Cornell University. “Make it 12 ounces rather than the 20 ounces we use.”
According to the USDA, the recommended meal for cereal is 8 ounces, or perhaps a portion about the size of a fist or tennis ball.
“The Dietary Guidelines encourage you to enjoy the food, but eat less and to avoid oversized portions,” said an argument on the USDA’s Choose My Plate website.
“The amount you eat or drink plays an important role in your energy balance strategy,” the statement added. “Most people consume more when served larger portions. Choosing smaller portions can help you lose weight and keep them back.”
