Portion Size and To-go Container on Dinner Intake

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Obesity
• Eating Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

To-Go container

Subjects were provided a to-go container in which leftover foods would be packaged

OTHER

Control

Subjects were not provided a to-go container with the meal

Sponsors & Collaborators

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  collaborator FED

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  collaborator NIH

• Jenny Craig, Inc.

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Penn State University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Barbara J. Rolls, PhD · The Pennsylvania State University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-10-31

Primary Completion

2017-12-31

Completion

2017-12-31