Objective
When households receive a new set of small or large dishes, will they use them, and will their weight and body mass index (BMI) be affected?
Theory, Prior Research, Rationale
This study builds on prior research that documents the effect of dish size on BMI.
Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention
In a sample of 217 households, 307 total participants (some households had tow participants), located in Syracuse, New York, half of the households were randomly chosen to receive a set of dishes (small salad plates, large dinner plates, bowls, glasses, and coffee cups) that were large in size and the other half received a set of dishes that was small in size.
Outcome, Measures and Analysis
In 8 interviews (every two weeks) over a 4 month span, field researchers collected data on participant weight, and how often they used their new dishes.
Results
Participants reported using their plates between 5.5 (large set) and 6.5 (small set) days per week. Difference in weights recorded in the first and final interviews show that participants who received the small plates lost an average of 2.7 pounds (p<0.05) relative to those in the large dish treatment. These participants also reduced their BMI by 0.5 points (p<0.02), compared to those in the large dish treatment.
Conclusions and Implications
For household nutrition gatekeepers, this study demonstrates how this simple, relatively effortless change can improve the health of household members. To health professionals, this finding introduces a cost effective method clients can employ to “mindlessly” improve health outcomes.
Funding
NIH.
Article info
Publication history
P104
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.
