Intake Promoting Effects of Large Portions in Children

描述(由申请人提供)：2010年健康人6-11岁儿童超重的目标是5%(目标19-3a)。然而，这一领先的健康指标与公共健康目标的距离越来越远，目前有15%的美国儿童超重。儿童中新出现的超重流行病突出表明，需要确定促成环境因素的因素。市场对家庭内外超量和不断增长的份量的趋势加剧了人们的担忧，即大部分食物可能通过促进过量摄入而直接导致这一问题。然而，关于分量大小对儿童进食影响的实证调查一直非常有限。两项类似设计的研究提供了初步证据，表明上大份主菜会刺激就餐时的消费。然而，分量大小对进食的影响的范围和性质仍不清楚；对摄入量的影响是否普遍存在于食物、能量密度和喜好中也是未知的，正如大量摄入导致过量摄入量的平均值(S)一样。公众特别关心的是，食用大量食物是否会影响儿童对含糖饮料、水果和蔬菜以及高能量食物的摄取。这项拟议的研究包括一系列四个实验，旨在解决五个广泛的目标。前三个实验将通过评估：(1)分量大小对儿童食用含糖饮料的影响；(2)分量大小对儿童水果和蔬菜(FV)摄入量的影响，以及这种影响是否被儿童的FV偏好所调节；以及(3)食物的能量密度是否与分量大小相加影响儿童的能量消耗，从而评估分量大小的影响范围。第四个实验将通过调查：(1)份量大小对进食持续时间和进食率的影响以及咀嚼大小和频率的影响，以及(2)盘子大小对儿童对大份量食物反应的影响，开始确定大份食物可能促进过量摄入的机制。拟议的调查直接针对NIH PA-04-033的目标，通过启动一系列短期研究，系统地评估食物份量对幼儿卡路里摄入量的影响。这项研究将产生新的数据，以澄清这种潜在的顺从影响对公共卫生的意义。这一基本行为调查的结果可能会被用来设计关于食物大小对儿童能量消耗和体重影响的长期研究。此外，这些基本研究成果还可以用来开发旨在改变幼儿环境潜在的顺从方面的干预措施。最后，研究结果将为幼儿父母提供关于适当份量的预期指导提供科学依据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Healthy People 2010 target for overweight among 6-11 year old children is five percent (Objective 19-3a). This leading health indicator, however, is moving at increasing distance from public health goals with 15 percent of US children currently overweight. The emerging epidemic of overweight among children underscores the need to identify contributing environmental factors. Marketplace trends for excessive and growing portion sizes in and outside the home have reinforced concerns that large portions may directly contribute to this problem by promoting excessive intake. Empirical investigation of portion size effects on children's eating, however, has been extremely limited. Two similarly designed studies provided initial evidence that serving large portions of an entree stimulated consumption at meals. However, the scope and nature of portion size influences on eating remain unclear; whether effects on intake generalize across foods, energy density and preference is unknown as is the mean(s) by which large portions cause excessive intake. Of particular public health interest is whether serving large portions may affect children's intake of sweetened beverages, fruits and vegetables, and energy dense foods. The proposed research involves a series of four experiments designed to address five broad aims. The first three experiments will evaluate scope of portion size effects by evaluating: (1) the effect of portion size on children's consumption of sweetened beverages; (2) the effect of portion size on children's intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) and whether such effects are moderated by children's FV preferences and; (3) whether the energy density of foods acts additively with portion size to affect children's energy consumption. A fourth experiment will begin to identify mechanisms by which large portions may promote excessive intake by investigating: (1) the effect of portion size on eating duration and rate as well as bite size and frequency and (2) the effects of plate size on children's response to large portions. The proposed investigation directly addresses the objectives of NIH PA-04-033, Diet Composition and Energy Balance, by initiating a series of short-term studies to systematically evaluate the effects of portion size on caloric intake in young children. This research will produce new data to clarify the public health significance of this potentially obesigenic influence. The results of this basic behavioral investigation may be used to inform the design of long-term studies on the effects of portion size on children's energy consumption and weight. Further, these basic research findings may also be used to develop interventions aimed at modifying potentially obesigenic aspects of young children's environments. Finally, findings will provide a scientific basis for anticipatory guidance to parents of young children regarding appropriate portion size.