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Science Study finds small snacks encourage eating more: called “sneaky small sins”
Science Study finds small snacks encourage eating more: called “sneaky small sins” | Study finds small snacks encourage eating more: called “sneaky small sins” |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Monday, 25 August 2008 | |
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Page 3 of 3 The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) website “Do 'snack packs' make you eat more?” suggest that: “This research resulted in some contradictory findings, and there is no certainty that it actually suggests that pack size is a major determinant of how much a person consumes. The study’s results showed that pack size alone did not make any difference to how many crisps were eaten, and any difference in consumption levels was only clear in those people who had been made to think about their diet. This study does not indicate an optimum packet size for limiting binging, nor a size that is linked to people eating more.” “There are several results reported from this complex series of studies and these results have been selectively reported by the newspapers. The main research finding, that pre-conditioned volunteers ate less, is not unexpected. However, there are contradictory findings when the results are looked at across the four groups by regression analysis, a technique which attempts to tease out how much snack consumption can be attributed to pack size, pre-conditioning or a combination of both. There are some limitations to this analysis:" • “The small numbers in the sub groups - about 35 in each group - means that some of the differences between groups may have arisen by chance.” • “It is not clear how aware the volunteers were of the aims of the research when they sat in front of the TV screen. For example, those taking part in the first study, or knowing the results of this, would be likely to consider their snacking more carefully. The researchers do not report how many volunteers were used in both parts.” • “Overall, the researchers found that the amount of crisps consumed (grams) did not vary between package sizes, but only in the groups who were pre-conditioned. This suggests that there is some aspect of the pre-conditioning that was an important determinant of eating behaviour – rather than pack size itself.” • “The researchers say that their findings do not imply that the best way to regulate consumption levels is by using smaller packs such as “multiple-serve and family-sized packs”. However, telling consumers to not purchase large packages or to “never eat out of a big bag or package” is also not the answer. Their suggestion is that “consumption that proceeds mindlessly may stop at the bottom of the bag, which is more problematic if it is deep”.” “This study does not indicate a size that would be best at limiting binging, nor a size that is linked to people eating more. Future studies would need to investigate this further to answer this question.” Please read the full article for more details on the NHS’ concerns with this research study. Whether food is eaten from small packages or large containers, it is the number of calories consumed that is important. And, the question remains as whether a person’s perception of package size contributes to the amount of food eaten. In any case, it is always important to be aware of the number of calories per helping (which is usually stated on the package labeling). Eating five packages of potato chips, each containing six ounces, is equal to eating one package of potato chips that contains 30 ounces. The ounces are the same, and the number of calories consumed is the same.
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