Controlling satiety: how environmental factors influence food intake

The obesity epidemic is fueled by over-consumption of food. Increasing portion sizes have distorted perceptions as to what constitutes a normal meal size. Many environmental cues contribute to the growing portion norms such as restaurant meal size, economy sized grocery packages, and illusions produced from larger dishware and utensil sizes. This review examines factors contributing to portion distortion and the role of sensory-specific satiety (SSS) in consumption. It is proposed that SSS could be used to control food intake when used in conjunction with environmental cues, including portion control, avoiding distraction while eating, and variety of available foods.