Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03811210

Using the Norm Range to Predict the Effect of Food Portion Size Reductions on Compensation Over 5 Days

Reducing food portion size is a potential strategy to reduce energy intake. However it is unclear at what point consumers compensate for reductions in portion size by increasing energy intake from other items. This could result in no overall benefit of reducing food portion sizes. The investigators tested the hypothesis that reductions to the portion size of components of a main meal will only result in significant compensatory eating when the reduced portion size is no longer visually perceived as 'normal'. In a crossover experiment, participants were served different sized portions during lunch and dinner over 5 days: a 'large-normal', a 'small-normal', and a 'smaller than normal' portion. Intake from all other meal components consumed in the laboratory were measured.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Portion Size

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Ashleigh Haynes

Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 6AA, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • willing to consume the test foods
  • BMI between 22.5 - 32.5

Exclusion criteria

  • food allergies, intolerances or specific dietary requirements (including being vegetarian or vegan)
  • history of eating disorders
  • taking medication which affected appetite
  • participated in a portion size studies in the past 12 months, or in dieting or weight loss trials in the past 4 weeks

Treatment and study plan

portion size

Behavioral

Smaller than normal portion size - the intervention is the main meal component size perceived as 'smaller than normal' that participants are provided with during lunch and dinner in the laboratory.

Small-normal portion size - the intervention is the main meal component size perceived as 'small-normal' that participants are provided with during lunch and dinner in the laboratory.

Large-normal portion size - the intervention is the main meal component size perceived as 'large-normal' that participants are provided with during lunch and dinner in the laboratory.

Primary outcomes

  1. Acute compensatory energy intake

    Time frame: Immediate (within single meal occasion)

    Energy intake from main meal components that are not varied by portion size

  2. Total meal energy intake

    Time frame: Immediate (within single meal occasion)

    Energy intake from all main meal components (including those that are and are not varied by portion size)

  3. Total daily energy intake

    Time frame: Over 5 x full days

    Energy intake from all foods consumed, including those provided in the laboratory and those self-reported

Secondary outcomes

  1. Moderate-vigorous physical activity

    Time frame: Over 5 x full days

    Moderate-vigorous physical activity (recorded using accelerometer device)

  2. Discretionary Leisure-time physical activity

    Time frame: Over 5 x full days

    Discretionary Leisure-time physical activity (recorded with self-report measure International Physical Activity Questionnaire)

  3. Appetite

    Time frame: Over 5 x full days (measured before and after each meal occasion)

    Hunger and fullness sensations before and after laboratory-based meals (self-reported on visual analog scales anchored at 0 'not at all' to 100 'extremely')

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Liverpool

Other

Collaborators

  • Medical Research Council

Registry information

Official study title

Using the Norm Range to Predict the Effect of Food Portion Size Reductions on Compensation

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Jan 22, 2019
Registry last updated
Jan 24, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.