title: "Split them!" smaller item sizes of cookies lead to a decrease in energy intake in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examine the influence of altering the size of snack food (ie, small vs large cookies) on short-term energy intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  First- and sixth-graders (n = 77) participated in a between-subjects experimental design. All participants were offered the same gram weight of cookies during an afternoon tea at their school. For half of the participants, food was cut in 2 to make the small item size. Food intake (number of cookies, gram weight, and energy intake) was examined using ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decreasing the item size of food led to a decrease of 25% in gram weight intake, corresponding to 68 kcal. Appetitive ratings and subject and food characteristics had no moderating effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing the item size of food could prove a useful dietary prevention strategy based on decreased consumption, aimed at countering obesity-promoting eating behaviors favored by the easy availability of large food portions.
authors.affiliation: Social Psychology Unit, Free University of Brussels, Bruxelles, Belgium. dmarchio@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Waroquier
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires