Overweight and obesity - use of portion control in management.
BACKGROUND
Overweight and obesity was responsible for 7.5% of the total burden of disease and injury in Australia in 2003, and was estimated in 2008 to cost the community $58.2 billion. More than half of the adult, and up to a third of the child, population in Australia is now classified as overweight or obese.


OBJECTIVE
This article aims to provide a rationale and some common practical solutions to help GPs assist patients to reduce intake and ultimately achieve weight loss or weight maintenance. In particular, it focuses on the reduction of portion size as a weight loss method.


CONCLUSIONS
Treating obesity remains a complex mix of changing someone's habits and their cognition around food and exercise while considering their current medical profile and medications, and minimising risk of further disease. Despite this complexity, controlling portion size is an effective, simple, reliable and sustainable tool that can be used to bring about weight loss.
Clark
Amanda
A
Great Ideas in Nutrition, Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia. amandaclark@greatideas.net.au
Franklin
Janet
J
Pratt
Iain
I
McGrice
Melanie
M
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D005194:Family Practice; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015431:Weight Loss