Large portions and forcing children to finish meals ‘could be fuelling obesity’

Large food portions for children may be fuelling Britain’s obesity crisis, with more than a third of parents making youngsters always finish their meals, nutritionists have warned.

A new poll for the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) found 37% of parents always or often make their children eat everything on their plate, with a further 23% sometimes insisting children finish everything they are served.

Nearly half (48%) of parents said their children have second helpings at least once a week, while many rely on their own estimates when serving portion sizes for their offspring.

The YouGov poll of 1,065 parents of children under 18 also found 32% only sometimes or rarely feel confident about choosing the right amount of food, with 63% feeling confident.

The poll further found that 7% of parents with children aged four and under and 11% of those with children aged five to 11 give their children the same portion sizes as they give to themselves.

Meanwhile, 15% measure portions while 14% follow package instructions.

When thinking about how much their children should eat, 51% of parents said they judged portion sizes based on how much their youngsters usually eat, while 16% let their children serve their own portions.

Bridget Benelam, nutrition communications manager for the BNF, said: “In England, about a quarter of adults are living with obesity and 37.9% are classified as overweight, while over a fifth of 10 to 11-year-old children are classified as living with obesity.

“Research has shown that large portions of food encourage both adults and children to eat more, so getting portion sizes right is an important element of having a balanced diet that supports a healthy body weight.”

When it comes to snacking, 88% of parents said their children have snacks between meals at least once a week, of whom 38% have snacks every day.

Some 77% of parents said their children eat a dessert or pudding after their main meal at least once a week, of whom 18% have a dessert or pudding every day and 17% have one between four and six days a week.

Overall, the poll found 28% of parents either strongly agree or tend to agree that they need more guidance on deciding the appropriate portion sizes for their children, while 46% said they did not need this help.

Ms Benelam said: “As a rule, children need portion sizes that reflect their body size and calorie requirements, so we’re encouraging parents to check the portion sizes they are serving to their children.

“One way to get an idea of proportions is to compare yours and your child’s hands.

“For example, for baked potatoes we suggest a potato approximately the size of a fist, which will be larger for an adult, smaller for a younger child.

“If in doubt, start small and offer second helpings if your child is still hungry.”

Specific information about portion sizes is available from the British Nutrition Foundation’s website at: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/creating-a-healthy-diet/portion-sizes/