Portion Size of Energy-Dense Foods among French and UK Adults by BMI Status

• Published in: Nutrients 2018-12, Vol.11 (1), p.12
• Main Authors: Rippin, Holly L, Hutchinson, Jayne, Jewell, Jo, Breda, Joao J, Cade, Janet E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; BMI status; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - methods; Diet Surveys; Energy Intake; energy-dense foods; Female; food portion size; France; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; national diet surveys; nutritional epidemiology; Overweight - epidemiology; Overweight - etiology; Portion Size - adverse effects; United Kingdom; WHO European region; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu11010012

Evidence links consumed food portion size (FPS) and excess weight via increased energy intake. Policies to regulate on-pack serving sizes may be needed; determining consumed FPS of popular energy-dense foods for normal weight and overweight or obese (OWOB) adults, as reported here, may provide evidence to assist this. Data were analysed from national cross-sectional surveys, the French Étude Individuelle Nationale des Consommations Alimentaires2 2005⁻2007 ( = 2117), and UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008⁻2014 ( = 3413). The impact of body mass index (BMI) on FPS is also investigated, adjusting for age, sex and under-reporting. Effects of under-reporting on relationships between FPS and BMI; and BMI on consumption frequency (UK only) were explored. OWOB reported larger FPS than normal-weight individuals in many, but not all food subgroups; however, there were only two significant FPS differences. In adjusted analyses, French individuals consumed 1.0 g (99% CI 0.01⁻2.1 = 0.01) greater FPS in cakes for 1 point difference in BMI. 'Other cakes' and 'dark chocolate' were also significantly positively associated with BMI. High-fat bar snacks, but no UK main food groups, were positively associated with BMI. There was limited evidence of links between FPS and BMI in UK and French national cross-sectional data, possibly due to data limitations such as under-reporting. Future work should explore this and relationships between consumed FPS and on-pack suggested serving sizes to provide evidence to assist obesity-prevention policies.