PORTIONS 2

Obesity is a global public health problem associated with multiple comorbidities and leading to high public health expenditures. One of its issues core topic lies in eating behavior, in particular excessive energy consumption, closely linked to the consumption of unbalanced portions. In response to this problem, the catering sector has begun to market tableware designed to try to reduce caloric content and adjust portions in home recipes, however, most of these instruments lack a theoretical basis and their scientific validity is still doubtful.

Based on programs of study pilot in our group in British obese patients using calibrated plates, the project PORTIONS (call 2018) was raised in order to develop and validate a prototype plate of fixed portions for the Mediterranean population. The main goal was to have a validated instrument of personalized, versatile and economical dietary treatment, with the possibility of direct application in the National Health Service and in programs of study intervention in addition to as tool educational in public health campaigns, pharmacy office and consultancy service nutritional. The second goal was to generate new knowledge on cognitive and physiological processes involved in the control of intake for transfer to industry, e.g. to improve the nutritional composition and packaging of pre-cooked dishes, design of new dietary tools and the development/optimization of ICTs for lifestyle improvement.

During the first year of PORTIONS, the prototype has been designed and produced working with an international team and a methodological platform has been set up with state-of-the-art technologies, with which the prototype has been pilot tested and its validation has been initiated. The proposed objectives for 2019 include fill in validation of the prototype in 94 healthy men and women with and without overweight, comparing the effect to that of a conventional plate; validation of the protocol coding of data video for eyetracking; performing quality control of the data collected, and performing the pending physiological, psychological and cognitive determinations plus descriptive and advanced statistical analyses.