Larger the plate, more the guzzling

You may want to buy a new set of crockery, as a recent study has revealed that a smaller plate could cut food consumption by up to 16 percent.

The University of Cambridge research found that offering super-sized portions or serving food on a larger plate leads people to eat more, the Independent reports.

The researchers noted that if people were exposed to smaller portions across all aspects of their diet, their food consumption could be cut by up to 16 per cent - equivalent to 280 calories.

Challenging assumptions that a lack of self-control was the only reason people overeat, Gareth Hollands, who co-led the study, said that helping people to avoid 'overserving' themselves or others with larger portions of food or drink is likely to be a good way of helping lots of people to reduce their risk of overeating.

The study is published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.