A new study by the researchers from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth denies the dogma that small portions help to lose weight.
“Often, nutritionists advise to use a small plate as a way to control your appetite, but it can not be considered an effective strategy, – Ming Sha, Professor of Kinesiology, says. – Our study showed that obese people had inadequacies with processes responsible for hunger and satiety, so that portion size has nothing to do with it.”
The study involved 10 women who did not have any weight problems and 10 obese women. On the first day of the experiment the participants ate from small plates (21 cm in diameter), and on the second day they used bigger ones (27 cm). There were no limitations in food consumption. The women ate until full saturation, and it was observed that the diameter of the plate did not play any role for them.
One would assume that overweight women had a greater sense of hunger. However, it turned out not to be true. At first, they ate as much as the women with normal weight, but then, after a while, the participants reported that they still felt hungry. In other words, the overweight women received as many nutrients as their opponents did, but did not feel satiety. Scientists believe it is the proof that the problem must be sought not in the plate size, but in overweight people’s organisms, because they have a reduced feeling of hunger and satiety.
