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A comparison of younger v. older adults' ability to estimate food portion sizes

In dietary studies, it is important to have accurate information on food intake at both an individual and population level. For many methods of dietary assessment, a food portion size must be identified for each food item consumed in order to calculate the corresponding nutrient value of each food item. The Food Atlas of Portion Sizes is a commonly used tool for the identification of portion sizes of foods consumed. Participants are asked to select a portion size photograph from the Food Atlas that most accurately represents the portion size of a food they have consumed. Forty older adults (65 years + ) and forty-one younger adults (18–40 years) were recruited and asked to assess the portion size of eighteen self-served food portions. The foods were chosen on the basis that they were commonly consumed by older adults and also represented a range of food morphologies. Participants were shown eight food portion size photographs for each food by means of the photographs from the Food Atlas or by viewing the same food photographs on a computer screen. Participants were asked to select the photograph that most accurately represented the food portion they had served. The self-served portions were weighed before the portion size assessment so a comparison of actual v. estimated weight could be made. The eighteen different foods were grouped into five food morphology categories (amorphous, small pieces, large pieces, shaped and spread) and the accuracy of portion size assessment was compared by age group and whether photographs had been shown traditionally or on a computer screen (method). This study was approved by the University of Sheffield, School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee.