Effects of Food Plate Size and Color on Visual Perception of  Satiety in Adolescents; a New Strategy toward Weight  Management

Samira  Rabiei; Maryam  Nazari

doi:10.18502/ijph.v52i6.12995

Samira Rabiei Department of Nutrition Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Nazari Food Safety Research Center (Salt), Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v52i6.12995

Keywords: Plate size; Plate color; Visual satiety; Obesity

Abstract

Background: Adolescence obesity and its health consequent on adulthood is affected by various environmental factors. Recently, dishware size or color is considered as a probable critical point to manage intake and weight. We investigated visual perception effects of plate size and color on fullness sensation regarding the Body Mass Index (BMI) for age percentiles in Tehran, Iran in 2019.

Methods: A cross sectional study conducted on 408 students aged 13-18 year from both sexes with different socioeconomic status through convenience sampling method. Anthropometric characteristics were measured to determine BMI for Age categories based on the WHO protocol. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess participants’ perceived satiety when faced to images of different plate’s size and color with the same food volume. SPSS 21 was used to statistical analyze.

Results: 41.2% of student were on >85th percentile of BMI for age. Mean of score of VAS for medium red plate was significantly lower than medium and large white plates in both sexes (P<0.001), while mean of score of VAS for small white plate was significantly lower than large white plates only in girls (P<0.001). The adolescents who were on >85th percentile of BMI for age, gave higher score to large white plate than medium white plate and to medium white plate than medium red plate, significantly (P<0.001), while the scores given by the adolescent on 5th percentile of BMI, were not significant.

Conclusion: Considering dramatic trend of obesity in adolescents in Iran, there is an urgent need to make supportive policies. Manipulating food containers seems to be an effective and simple approach to control feeling satiety. It may be a cost-effective approach to prevent obesity in adolescents before progressing to adulthood.