Is it possible to indulge in treats without facing the consequences? According to a recent study, it may be achievable.
Researchers say that breaking a chocolate bar into squares can aid weight loss, and this technique can be applied to other foods as well. Experts suggest that dividing and distributing food is a useful strategy for reducing the overall consumption of any food. In addition to exercise and a balanced diet, managing portion size is crucial for weight control. To examine the impact of transforming food into smaller portions and spreading it out, a group of scientists from Shaanxi Normal University in China conducted a study.
A total of 63 persons participated in two studies in which they examined 60 distinct images of chocolate organized in various ways.
The findings of the study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference revealed “that unit number and inter-unit distance independently influenced the perception of overall portion size.”
The group offered the subjects a chocolate block of ten various sizes, then either had it chopped into nine or sixteen pieces with no more space between them, or with 10, 20, and 30% more space between the squares.
The author of the study, Fei Wu, told The Telegraph that the distance and greater number of smaller bits deceive us into believing there is a bigger part than there really is.
“Of course, the key to helping people lose weight is to increase the perceived portion size of the food,” he added.
While no actual food was used in the studies, based on the findings, they say that those who want to lose weight should arrange their meals on a plate in a little disorganized manner and allow space between each item. So, the food will look like more.
On the other hand, if the same quantity of food is grouped together, it would seem to be smaller, which can give you the impression that you can eat more, according to the author.
Moreover, the meal may be split into more units, such as by slicing a loaf of bread into many pieces, which makes the portion size of bread seem to be larger.
Perceived portion size might moderate dietary intake.
Wu’s inspiration for the research came from seeing the various stacking methods used by friends at a buffet.
He explained that the buffet used a weigh-and-pay system, where food was selected, weighed, and charged accordingly. Given his research interest in portion size, he suggested that they estimate each other’s food portions.
During this activity, the author noticed that one friend’s plate had loosely arranged food with gaps in between, forming a large circle that caused everyone to overestimate the food’s price.
In contrast, another friend’s plate had tightly stacked food forming a small circle, leading to undervaluation of the food. This prompted him to explore how food presentation influences the perceived portion size.
It has been established in the past that one’s perception of portion size might act as a moderator between food intake and fullness. For instance, if someone thinks that food is larger than it really is, they may decide that it is too big and limit their intake.
“When perceiving overall portion size,” as explained by Wu, “both unit number and inter-unit distance influenced overall portion size estimation.”
When the identical amount of food was sliced into 9 or 16 pieces, participants perceived the 16-piece to be larger than the nine-piece.
Moreover, consumers tend to perceive a greater overall portion size when food pieces are separated by an inter-unit distance of 120% or 130%, compared to being clustered with an inter-unit distance of 100%.
“To increase the perceived portion size, you can increase the unit number. This way, when estimating the overall portion size from the unit portion size estimate value, a larger overall portion size estimate value can be obtained.
“In real life, this situation might correspond to estimating a whole box of cookies by one cookie.”
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