This new Cochrane review examined the evidence to establish by how much the amounts of food, alcohol or tobacco adults and children select or consume change in response to being presented with larger or smaller-sized (or differently shaped) portions or packages of these products, or of items of tableware (such as plates or glasses) used to consume them.

Study characteristics

This review includes 72 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published up to July 2013 that compared at least two groups of participants, each presented with a different size of a portion, package or item of tableware. Included studies measured the amounts of food, alcohol or tobacco selected and/or consumed by participants, typically over a period of one day or less. Almost all of the included studies investigated food, with only three tobacco studies and no alcohol studies found. Almost all assessed participants' responses to different sizes rather than different shapes. The average age of participants in the different studies ranged from three to 55 years, with more studies involving adults than children and most conducted in the USA. Sources of funding were reported for the majority of studies and there was no evidence of study funding by agencies with commercial interests in their results.

Key findings and quality of evidence

Effects of size on consumption: The review found evidence that people consistently ate more food or drank more non-alcoholic drinks when offered larger-sized portions, packages or items of tableware than when offered smaller-sized versions. The authors estimate the size of this effect to be small to moderate among both children and adults. If an effect of this size were sustained across the whole diet it would be equivalent to around a 12% to 16% change in average daily energy intake from food among UK adults. They rated the overall quality of the evidence for this effect as moderate, due to concern about study limitations arising from incomplete or unclear reporting of methods and procedures. From three tobacco studies, we found no effect of longer compared with shorter cigarettes on the amounts of tobacco consumed. They rated the overall quality of evidence for this effect as low due to concerns about study limitations and not having enough evidence.

Effects of shape on consumption: One study found that adults provided with shorter, wider bottles drank larger amounts of water from them, having already poured more, compared with those provided with taller, narrower bottles. However, the authors rated the quality of this evidence as very low, due to very serious concerns about study limitations and not having enough evidence (only one study with outcome data from 50 participants).

Effects of size on selection: The review further found that adults, but not children, consistently chose (selected) more food (including non-alcoholic drinks) when offered larger-sized portions, packages or items of tableware than when offered smaller-sized versions. The estimated size of this effect was again small to moderate. The authors rated the overall quality of the evidence for this effect as moderate, due to concern about study limitations.

Effects of shape on selection: Evidence from three studies suggested that adults and children provided with shorter, wider bottles or glasses selected increased quantities of non-alcoholic beverages for subsequent consumption, compared with those provided with taller, narrower bottles or glasses. The authors rated the quality of this evidence as low, again due to concerns about study limitations and unexplained variation in effects between the three studies.

Conclusions

Overall, this review provides the most conclusive evidence to date that acting to reduce the size, availability and appeal of larger-sized portions, packages and tableware has potential to reduce the quantities of food that people select and consume by meaningful amounts. However, it is uncertain whether reducing portions at the smaller end of the size range can be as effective in reducing food consumption as reductions at the larger end of the range. These findings highlight the need for further research that aims to reduce uncertainties about these effects and address identified gaps in the evidence base, including not having enough evidence for longer-term effects and the absence of evidence about alcohol products.

You can read the full review on the Cochrane Library.