Helping men cut portion sizes

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that overweight men can easily adjust to smaller portions if they are pre-prepared.
Portion size is an important issue when it comes to weight control. When people cook for themselves, they don't always know how much is a reasonable portion. And if you eat out, portions can be very large.

Researchers at the University of Illinois report on a study that compared two groups of overweight men. One group cooked and prepared their own food according to a healthy diet regime. The other were given pre-prepared frozen food. The first group lost 12 pounds in eight weeks, on average. The second lost 16 pounds. Both experienced a fall in their blood pressure. The study underlines the importance of portion control in weight loss. People can learn about healthy portion sizes if they cook for themselves. But more and more of us eat out - if so, we need to be aware of portion size and be prepared to leave food on the plate if necessary.

Source
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 14th March 2005