06.06.2007

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Pulse Report

PORTION CONTROL FROM A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

Pulse Report: Portion Control from a Consumer Perspective examines how American consumers view and respond to portion control products and tactics across a wide array of eating, shopping and dining out occasions.

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08.16.2006 "The Challenges of Portion Control"

07.12.2006 "Understanding the Obesity Crisis"

04.26.2006 "The Rise of Single-Servie Packaging"

03.08.2006 "Satiety: 'Satisfying' the Hunger for a New Food Trend?"

03.10.2005 "The Balance Trap"

10.26.2004 "What If It's Not About the Food After All"

08.19.2004 "7 Myths of Obesity in America"

08.05.2004 "Snacking Our Way Through the Day: Food Culture in America"

06.17.2004 "Addressing the Problem of Obesity"

02.11.2004 "Don't Tell Me I'm Obese, I'm Just Big-Boned"

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Portion Control: Minimize Me, Please!

Size does matter, especially when it comes to eating. In this "era of obesity," portion sizes encountered in settings ranging from the dinner table to the local Ruby Tuesday have never come under more scrutiny. While most consumers recognize the power of moderation in the context of weight management, the larger issues of putting "good eating" practices to work and using sound judgment when it comes to determining what constitutes a "normal" serving size are still in debate. Despite the tension that exists between natural desires to give in to the temptations of large servings (whether encountered in restaurants, stores or in packaged foods), the notion among consumers that portions can be managed to avoid over-consumption is taking on increasing credence in a variety of eating occasions.

At Home, Work and Play, Portion Control is Challenging

In our 2004 report, Obesity in America: Understanding Weight Management from a Consumer Perspective, we found that consumers cite "inappropriate or uncontrollable portion sizing" as a primary hurdle to proper eating habits, as well as a more general cause of being overweight or obese. Not surprisingly, consumers then (as now) are also quick to suggest that the reining in of portion sizes is the cornerstone of any successful weight management strategy: In 2004, we found that just over half (56%) of those who have dieted to lose weight say they adjusted portion sizes as part of their most recent dieting strategy.

Today, in our newly released Pulse Report: Portion Control from a Consumer Perspective, we find that just over three-quarters (78%) of Americans have tried to control the amount of food and beverages they consume for weight management purposes. Interestingly, while in 2004 we identified tangible barriers to the practice of portion control (many of which are still prevalent today), in this current study we also find Americans reporting that a wide range of settings and eating occasions are challenging to the practice of managing portions: As examples, among diverse techniques used to manage food portions, consumers admit that limiting their eating to mealtimes (56% of respondents), avoiding restaurant portions that encourage them to overeat (52%)%

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