The perceived portion size norms and potential strategies to facilitate discretionary foods portion control in Australia

Abstract

Among the many factors contributing to the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity these past three decades is a significant increase in food portion sizes, in particular for discretionary foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, added sugar, added salt, and/or alcohol. These foods contribute to over one third of total energy intake across all age groups in Australia. As portion sizes of discretionary foods are increasing, it raises public health concerns that larger amounts of food are now regarded as “normal”. This phenomenon termed “portion distortion”, is a key contributor to passive overconsumption.

Portion size norms, described as perceptions of how much food people choose to consume at a single eating occasion, play a primary role in portion size selection and consequently eating behaviour. The construction of these norms is dynamic, depending on social, cultural and environmental factors, and vary between individuals and populations. Studies have shown that small reductions in serving size are acceptable if these are close to the norm, and result in reduced intake without triggering compensatory eating. However, large reductions or restrictions to portion sizes may be less acceptable and can lead to higher intakes at subsequent eating occasions.

Currently little is known about the existing portion size norms among Australian consumers. There are no public health recommendations and interventions around appropriate portion sizes, and consumers have little knowledge or skills in their portion control. Therefore, the overarching aim of this research was to investigate the conceptualisation of portion size norms, and explore potential strategies to facilitate discretionary food portion control among Australian consumers.