The key to fighting obesity epidemic is in proper portioning of food, according to new evidence from researchers at the University of Cambridge.
The study, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, presented data that shows that people are likely to eat more food if they are offered large portions or use oversized eating utensils. However, doing away with large servings can effectively reduce 16 percent of energy intake among U.K. adults and 29 percent of energy intake among U.S. adults. Invariably, people who use smaller utensils for eating were found to have less food intake.
Researchers compared 61 other studies composed of over 6,711 participants with their own findings to come up with "most conclusive evidence to date," according to BBC. They also discovered that most people are "reluctant" to have leftovers on their plate, so they end up consuming larger amounts.
"Helping people to avoid 'overserving' themselves or others with larger portions of food or drink by reducing their size, availability and appeal in shops, restaurants and in the home, is likely to be a good way of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating," said Dr. Gareth Hollands, the lead author of the study, according to HealthDay.
He also suggested that the government must take the initiative to enforce smaller packages and limit size of energy-dense foods in order to help with weight loss. Should this happen, the average consumption can effectively drop to 12 to 16 percent, or at least 279 calories in a day, among U.K. adults according to WebMD. The rate is even lower in the U.S. adults at 22 to 29 percent, or up to 527 calories a day, as Health Day reported.
"With the notable exception of directly controlling the sizes of the foods people consume, reliable evidence as to the effectiveness of specific actions to reduce the size, availability or appeal of larger-sized food portions is currently lacking and urgently needed," the researchers detailed in their study.
They also suggest to price restrictions and promotion restrictions to consumers. "At the moment, it is all too easy—and often better value for money - for us to eat or drink too much," said another co-author, Ian Shermit, in the press release.
Obesity bears a lot of health risks as experts have already determined that it can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer. In the U.S. about 34.9 percent of adults are considered obese, according to the Center for Disease Control, while it's 62.1 percent in the U.K. and Ireland, according to Public Health England.
